Dublin Core
Title
Graciela Rivera on Maria Colón Sánchez
Subject
Maria Colón Sánchez at Sacred Heart and as a Frog Hollow Community Advocate
Description
Maria Colón Sánchez was a business owner and advocate who came to Hartford at the age of 28. Establishing her storefront in the North End of Hartford on Albany Avenue, Maria quickly became a central member of the community, and her store became a hub for Hartford’s growing Puerto Rican population. A strong community activist, Maria served on the Hartford Board of Education for 16 years and fought tirelessly for bilingual education in Connecticut Public Schools. In 1988, she became the first Latina woman elected to the Connecticut General Assembly. Maria is a beloved figure in the Frog Hollow community and her legacy lives on through the Maria Sánchez Elementary School.
Creator
Trinity College Liberal Arts Action Lab
Publisher
Trinity College Liberal Arts Action Lab
Date
November 16, 2021
Contributor
Graciela Rivera
Rights
Photo copyright held to Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame
Format
mp4
Language
English and Spanish
Type
Interview
Identifier
Advocacy, Voices of Frog Hollow, Maria Colón Sánchez Elementary School, Puerto Rican Community, Hartford Board of Education
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Interviewer
Trinity College Liberal Arts Action Lab Students: Emeline Avignon and Catherine Doyle
Interviewee
Graciela Rivera
Location
Hartford Public Library: Park Street Branch
Transcription
Graciela Rivera on Maria Colón Sánchez:
Interviewer (Catherine) [00:40:56] Another name that came up a lot was Maria Sanchez connected to Sacred Heart Parish or church I think if you know anything about her or can talk a little bit about her role?
Graciela [00:41:03] Mm hmm. Yeah, people, unfortunately, I didn't get to meet her, but people have always shared a lot of positive things about her and how determined she was and what a huge advocate she was for, you know, the importance of voting, how important it was for people in the neighborhood to vote, to exercise their voting rights, to be informed. So like advocate for the things that their neighborhood needs and things like that. So I think Maria Sanchez is one of those people. She's super well known in the neighborhood and I think in the city in general, and I think people really do look up to her a lot and identify with her because she she was from Puerto Rico, you know, so her story and how she came to to to Hartford, from Puerto Rico and grew up she she worked in the tobacco fields here and from being a tobacco field worker, went to getting involved with politics. You know, it's just amazing the level of support that she had behind her and a lot of people mentioned the little shop she had on Albany Avenue. She had a little shop on Albany Avenue, very close to Cork Middle School, where it was like a little bodega. And she would she would hold like little community meetings there as well. So. And kids used to go there and buy their candy, a little corner store in the neighborhood.
Interviewer (Catherine) [00:40:56] Another name that came up a lot was Maria Sanchez connected to Sacred Heart Parish or church I think if you know anything about her or can talk a little bit about her role?
Graciela [00:41:03] Mm hmm. Yeah, people, unfortunately, I didn't get to meet her, but people have always shared a lot of positive things about her and how determined she was and what a huge advocate she was for, you know, the importance of voting, how important it was for people in the neighborhood to vote, to exercise their voting rights, to be informed. So like advocate for the things that their neighborhood needs and things like that. So I think Maria Sanchez is one of those people. She's super well known in the neighborhood and I think in the city in general, and I think people really do look up to her a lot and identify with her because she she was from Puerto Rico, you know, so her story and how she came to to to Hartford, from Puerto Rico and grew up she she worked in the tobacco fields here and from being a tobacco field worker, went to getting involved with politics. You know, it's just amazing the level of support that she had behind her and a lot of people mentioned the little shop she had on Albany Avenue. She had a little shop on Albany Avenue, very close to Cork Middle School, where it was like a little bodega. And she would she would hold like little community meetings there as well. So. And kids used to go there and buy their candy, a little corner store in the neighborhood.
Original Format
audio recording, zoom recording
Duration
1:41