Julissa Arce, immigrant rights advocate and author, is the 2018 Realizing the Dream distinguished lecturer. Her address will take place Tuesday, March 27, at 7 p.m. in the Embassy Suites Ballroom, downtown Tuscaloosa.
Arce came to the United States from Mexico at the age of 11 and was undocumented for almost 15 years before becoming a U.S. citizen in August 2014. During that time, she built a successful career on Wall Street, and now serves as an advocate for immigrant rights and education. Author of “My (Underground) American Dream” (2016), Arce co-founded the Ascend Educational Fund in order to help other young people in similar circumstances.
Her lecture is free and open to the public. Arce will be available to sign her book following the lecture. Books will be available for purchase onsite, at a cost of $15.99 each, plus tax.
Each year, the community celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with Realizing the Dream activities including a concert, Legacy Awards banquet, performing arts event, Unity Day programs and a lecture. The celebration, much of which takes place during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, is sponsored in part by an endowment from the Fiesta Bowl and is the work of an alliance comprised of Stillman College, Shelton State Community College, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and The University of Alabama.
The University’s participation in the Realizing the Dream initiative is coordinated by the Division of Community Affairs, which is recognized nationally and internationally for its leadership in community engagement.
For more information about the lecture, contact the division at community.affairs@ua.edu or 205-348-7405.