NPR journalist speaks during Hispanic Heritage Month
Oct. 6, 2000
KALAMAZOO -- Richard Gonzalez, national affairs correspondent for National Public Radio, will speak on "News Coverage of National and International Affairs" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, in Room 157 of Western Michigan University's Bernhard Center.
The free talk, which is open to the public, is part of WMU's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. A national observance, the month is intended to recognize Hispanic culture and contributions to American society. It begins each year on Sept. 15 and concludes on Oct. 14.
Gonzalez, who is based in San Francisco, has been with NPR since 1986. His reports are featured regularly on NPR's award-winning news programs "All Things Considered," "Morning Edition" and "Weekend Edition."
Prior to his current duties as national affairs correspondent, Gonzalez covered a variety of areas for NPR, including the U.S. State Department, White House and U.S. Congress. In the course of his career, he has reported on issues as diverse as the North American Free Trade Agreement, American social welfare policy, the international drug trade, the fall of apartheid in South Africa and the Iran-Contra scandal in the United States.
The journalist was honored in 1984 by the World Affairs Council of Northern California for his documentary on the war-ravaged Miskito Indians of Nicaragua and won a World Hunger Media Award in 1988 for "Street Children in Maputo."
In 1977, Gonzalez received a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and social relations from Harvard College and in 1994, he was a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University. He is co-founder of Familias Unidas, a bilingual social services program in his hometown of Richmond, Calif.
Gonzalez's appearance is being made possible by four WMU sponsors, the Division of Multicultural Affairs, Institute of Government and Politics, Sigma Lambda Beta and the Latino Student Alliance.
Media contact: Jeanne Baron, 616 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu