The summary provides an overview of events held by the CLASA (Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies) in fall 2018, including talks on: spirituality and social justice by Sr. Mary Ellen Brody and Joe Mulligan; Honduran human rights with Sr. Mary Ellen and Gail Presbey; a library exhibit on Archbishop Oscar Romero; the UN Sustainable Development Goals with Dr. Beth Blissman; and a presentation from members of the Editora Ogum's Publishing House from Brazil on their work publishing Black Brazilian artists. Speakers included activists, scholars, poets, and members of religious orders working on social justice issues in Latin America.

1. CLASA PAST EVENTS FALL 2018
• Editora Ogum's Publishing House
• Mary Ellen Brody, R.S.M. on Spirituality
and Social Justice
• Joe Mulligan, S.J. on his life as an activist
• Sr. Mary Ellen and Gail Presbey on
Honduran human rights
• Library exhibit windows celebrating the
canonization of Archbishop Oscar
Romero
• Dr. Beth Blissman on the United Nations
and the Sustainable Development Goals
• Co-sponsored talks: Bill Cook, Sarah
Alvarez

2. LARA WASNER OF LANGUAGES AND CULTURAL TRAINING
AND ORGANIZER OF OUR UNIVERSITY’S BRAZIL INTERNATIONAL
EXPERIENCE TRIPS (AND CO-SPONSOR OF OUR EVENT),
INTRODUCES OUR SPEAKERS FROM BRAZIL,
SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

3. POET AND LYRICIST GUELLWAAR ADUN
OPENED WITH A SONG HE COMPOSED
FOR CARNAVAL

4. ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE, GUELLWAAR
DESCRIBED THE SOCIAL REALITIES FACING
BLACK BRAZILIANS

5. POET MEL ADUN EXPLAINED THE NEED FOR THE PRESS
THEY FOUNDED, EDITORA OGUM'S PUBLISHING HOUSE,
AND ITS FOCUS ON THE ARTISTIC WORKS OF BLACK
BRAZILIANS WHO OTHERWISE WOULD GO
UNRECOGNIZED AND HAVE FEW AVENUES FOR
PUBLICATION. FOLLOW THEIR PRESS ON FACEBOOK.

6. PAULA SANTOS, WHO SERVES AS THE TOUR
GUIDE IN BRAZIL, SHARED AN OVERVIEW OF
BLACK ARTS IN BRAZIL

7. THE GROUP BROUGHT EXAMPLES OF
THEIR PUBLICATIONS
• Their independent poetry press
from Brazil is Editora Ogum’s
Publishing Company. They have
been publishing talented poets,
and also some children’s books.
The speakers are founding
members of Colectivo Ogum’s
Toques Negros.

8. BIO: GUELLWAAR
• Marcus Gonçalves da Silva (a.k.a. Guellwaar Adún),
since the late 1980’s has used music, writing, editing,
and socially-engaged cultural work to contribute to the
vitality of contemporary Afro- Brazilian culture in his
home of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. In his artistic and
cultural work, he creatively and critically senses the
dynamic cross-currents and deep impact of history and
how it informs modern life in Salvador. And he responds
with songs, poems, books, and educational initiatives to
speak to the beautiful complications of life in Bahia, the
epicenter of Afro-Brazilian culture in Brazil. He is an
accomplished composer of contemporary AfroBrazilian
music. His compositions are performed by the Blocos
Afros/African Carnival groups Ilê Aiyê, Malê Debalê,
Filhos de Gandhy, Filhos do Korin Efan, some of the
most prestigious cultural organizations in Bahia. Three
times, his compositions have earned him 1st place in the
Black Music Composer Contest sponsored by Ilê Aiyê.
His commitment to education for youth of color, both
street and community adolescents, has also been a
powerful strand of his creative and cultural work. He has
taught young people poetry, and how to use the reading
& writing process as a tool for self-empowerment and
self-expression. Since 2007, da Silva has been Director
of Projects at Abará Tabuleiro da Comunicação. Since
the early 1990s, he has been a leader, including
Pedagogical Supervisor, of the Street Educational
program, Projeto Axé. He began his socially engaged
musical career as a street actor/composer with the
theater group Maloqueiros in 1989.

9. MEL ADÚN (PHOTO, RIGHT)
• Mel Adún is an African Brazilian writer
engaged with race and gender issues in
Brazil. She graduated in Mass Media and
with a Master’s degree in Black Literature
from the Federal University of Bahia. She is
also a specialist in script writing. She is the
founder of Tobossis, a non-profit
organization that focuses in gender and
race and the Vice President and co-founder
of the Editora Ogum’s Publishing Company.
She has had her works included in over 15
anthologies (poetry and short stories) and
has two children’s books published
(including A lua cheia de vento). Her work
has been studied by some experts in the
area throughout the Black Diaspora, the
latest one by Dr. Dawn Duke from
University of Tennessee. See her online
interview or her poetry recital (both in

10. PAULA’S BIO
• Paula Santos is an expert in international educational support
and brings with her a vast range of contacts in the state of
Bahia, which range from governmental organizations to
universities, from cultural agencies to civil society
organizations. Her areas of expertise include Afro-Brazilian
Culture, Religion and Art. Her work with SIT Study Abroad
programs in Brazil for more than 20 years includes organizing
and coordinating Race and Gender seminars (with important
Afro-Brazilian religious leaders and grass roots community
organizations), Sustainability and Social Justice programs,
identifying partner NGOs for visits and service learning
opportunities, organizing and advising students on their Public
Health and Community Projects, and providing translation for
SIT classes, field activities, and excursions. In addition to
organizing and guiding several educational tours for University
of Detroit Mercy, she has also done so for Merrit College, NYU-
Tish School of Arts, Viver Brasil Institute/ Bahia Dance
Program, and Iowa State University, among others. She is also
a professional simultaneous interpreter and is fluent in English
and Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, and she regularly
works with professional organizations both inside and outside
Brazil, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),
the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the Ford
Foundation, and the World Food Program-UN, among others.
She is one of Brazil’s most engaging cultural experts. Paula
holds a degree in Journalism by the University of São Paulo.
She is also a lecturer on women's issues in Bahia. She has
been guest lecturer to Zeghram’s Expeditions, Semester at
Sea, and John Hopkins University – Center for Africana
Studies, among others. Paula is on the board of TOBOSSIS –
a non-profit non- governmental organization that focuses on

11. MEL AND GUELLWAAR ANSWERED THE
QUESTIONS OF THE AUDIENCE. SEE THE
ENTIRE PRESENTATION ONLINE (SIGN IN WITH YOUR
DETROIT MERCY MICROSOFT EMAIL PASSWORD)

12. MAURICE GREENIA OF THE LIBRARY AND I PUT
TOGETHER A DISPLAY WINDOW FOR HISPANIC
HERITAGE MONTH (SEP 15 TO 0CT 15), USING
PHOTOS AND ART WORKS DONATED TO THE
ARCHIVE BY BISHOP GUMBLETON

13. ON OCT. 3, FR. JOE MULLIGAN, A JESUIT (AND
ON THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR CLASA), SPOKE
ON “MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE STRUGGLE FOR
JUSTICE AND PEACE”

14. FR. MULLIGAN IS A JESUIT FROM OUR PROVINCE WHO
HAS LIVED IN NICARAGUA SINCE 1986. HE DESCRIBES
HIS OWN SPIRITUALITY AS LIBERATION THEOLOGY,
COMBINED WITH THE SPIRITUALITY OF ST. IGNATIUS
OF LOYOLA.
• In this talk he challenged students
to think about what’s really
important to them. He suggested
that a life devoted to social justice
and walking in solidarity with the
poor was a better choice than
frantic pursuit of material pleasures.
It is in this context that he explained
that the jail time he served for his
civil disobedience actions was
worthwhile.

15. FR. MULLIGAN TALKED ABOUT THE DISAPPEARANCE OF FR. JIM
“GUADALUPE” CARNEY IN HONDURAS IN 1983, AND THE
PERSONAL WITNESSES HE ENGAGED IN TO DRAW ATTENTION
TO THE UNRESOLVED CASE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO FR.
CARNEY (THIS INVOLVES SIT-INS AT THE U.S. EMBASSY, A FAST,
AND OTHER ACTS OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE).
• See the entire talk (if you have
Detroit Mercy Microsoft/email
credentials) or, if you don’t, you can
still see an edited version of the
highlights of this talk on Fr. Joe
Mulligan’s you tube channel. Fr.
Mulligan has also created
documentaries about Fr. Carney –
see parts one and two. See a
previous CLASA talk of Fr. Joe
Mulligan on the UCA Jesuit Martyrs
at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

16. ON OCT. 10, MARY ELLEN BRODY, RSM, A SISTER
OF MERCY, SPOKE ON: “REFLECTIONS ON
MERCY, SPIRITUALITY, AND JUSTICE”

17. SR. MARY ELLEN DESCRIBED HOW SHE
FOLLOWS THE CALLING OF GOD IN HER
OWN LIFE
• Sr. Mary Ellen talked about how the
Mercy community lives on the edge
and still stays centered in its
commitment to Mercy today. That's
why she was drawn to live and
minister in Honduras in the past (for
9 years) and be part of Delegations
visiting the country. Being with the
oppressed can awaken one's quest
for justice, part of one's spiritual
journey.

18. IN PART TWO OF THE EVENING, DR. GAIL
PRESBEY, DIRECTOR OF CLASA, JOINED SR.
MARY ELLEN AS THEY DESCRIBED THE
DELEGATION TO HONDURAS IN MAY 2018 THAT
THEY HAD BOTH PARTICIPATED IN.
• See the letter describing this
delegation in detail, following the
link. If you have Detroit Mercy
Microsoft email credentials, see
the video of our talk.

19. OUR DELEGATION BEGAN IN WASHINGTON D.C. WHERE WE
ACCOMPANIED HONDURANS INCLUDING JESUIT PADRE MELO
AS HE AND OTHERS GAVE TESTIMONY TO THE LANTOS
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS THEY HAD
WITNESSED IN HONDURAS

20. WE ACCOMPANIED THE HONDURANS BACK TO
SAN PEDRO SULA, HONDURAS, WHERE THEY
GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE TO THE NATIONAL
MEDIA IN HONDURAS.

21. WHILE IN HONDURAS WE HEARD THE
TESTIMONIES OF THOSE WHO HAD BEEN
IMPRISONED FOR POLITICAL REASONS, AND WE
STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THEM.

22. AN HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH DISPLAY WAS
EXHIBITED IN THE MCNICHOLS CAMPUS
LIBRARY. IT CONTAINED ART WORKS DONATED
BY BISHOP TOM GUMBLETON.

23. OCTOBER 2018: DISPLAY WINDOWS FOR
ARCHBISHOP OSCAR ROMERO’S
CANONIZATION

24. ON OCT. 24, UNITED NATIONS DAY, WE INVITED
DR. BETH BLISSMAN TO SPEAK ON “U.N.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS):
PATHWAY TO EMPOWERMENT?”

25. AFTER THE
TALK…
L to R: Dr. Beth Blissman
with one of our students,
and Prof. Roberta Cottman
(Wayne State), Dr. Renady
Hightower (CHP), Lara
Wasner (Director,
Languages and Cultural
Training) and Gail Presbey
(Director, CLASA).

26. DR. BLISSMAN BIO
• Beth Blissman is the United Nations
representative for the Loretto Community. She
brings over 25 years of experience in higher
education with a specialization in community
engagement. She received her Ph.D. from
University of Denver and Iliff School of
Theology, specializing in religion and social
change. From 2000-2016, Beth served as
director of the Bonner Center for Service and
Learning at Oberlin College and Conservatory.
The Loretto Community was founded in 1812
by three spunky lay women and a Belgian
priest. Widely involved in education
specifically for girls and women, the Loretto
Community continues to express its
commitment to both social and ecological
justice through its work at the United Nations.
See
both http://www.lorettocommunity.org and http
://lorettoattheun.org/

27. SHE GAVE 2 TALKS ON OCT. 24. GIVING AN OVERVIEW OF THE STRUCTURE
OF THE UN AND ALL 17 SDGS, SHE DOVE INTO SDG 5 (ACHIEVE GENDER
EQUALITY AND EMPOWER ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS) AND EXPLORED
PROGRESS TOWARDS ENSURING THAT ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS AROUND THE
WORLD GET THE NUTRITION, HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION AND
OPPORTUNITIES THEY NEED TO FLOURISH. BETH AND THE STAFF AT
LORETTO AT THE UN ARE ACTIVE IN THE COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF
WOMEN NGO, AS WELL AS THE WORKING GROUP ON GIRLS. SEE THE VIDEO
ONLINE (WITH YOUR DETROIT MERCY MICROSOFT ID).

28. ON OCT. 25, DR. BETH BLISSMAN ADDRESSED
FACULTY AND STAFF INVOLVED IN SERVICE
LEARNING, SHARING HER WISDOM ON
COMMUNITY BASED LEARNING INITIATIVES (CO-
SPONSORED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR
LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE).

29. CLASA ALSO CO-SPONSORED TWO OTHER
EVENTS ON OUR CAMPUS THIS FALLHISTORY PROF. BILL COOK
SPOKE ON: “TWO GUYS NAMED
FRANCIS: THE SAINT AND THE
POPE”. THE EVENT WAS
ORGANIZED BY DR. JASON
ROCHE OF COMMUNICATION
STUDIES AND CO-SPONSORED
BY HISTORY, CLASA, AND
HONORS
WE WORKED WITH UNIVERSITY
MINISTRY AND THE ENGLISH
DEPARTMENT TO BRING
SPECIAL GUEST SARAH
ALVAREZ (FOUNDER AND
DIRECTOR OF OUTLIER MEDIA)
AND OTHERS TO DISCUSS
“IMMIGRATION: PERSONAL
STORIES”

30. OTHER RELATED EVENTS IN WHICH CLASA
DIRECTOR GAIL PRESBEY HAD A CHANCE TO
PARTICIPATE…DETROIT MERCY STUDENTS
WENT TO WASHINGTON D.C.
AND WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS
IMMIGRATION REFORM WITH
SEN. GARY PETERS’ OFFICE
AS FACULTY MENTOR FOR THE
LATINX STUDENT ASSOCIATION,
I ATTENDED THIS HISPANIC
HERITAGE MONTH
CELEBRATION HOSTED BY
THEIR CLUB