Vanessa Calderón-Rosado School Library Dedication

On Thursday, March 21, the Margarita Muñiz Academy (MMA) celebrated the grand opening of its new school library. The library was dedicated in honor of Dr. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, CEO and president of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) and one of the academy's founding members.

The event was attended by special guests and dignitaries, including Mayor Michelle Wu and Alondra Bobadilla, the First Youth Poet Laureate of Boston. Attendees enjoyed light refreshments and a music performance by talented students from the school's MMA music program.

"I am honored to have my name included as a part of the legacy of work being done at Margarita Muñiz Academy to support our city's bilingual students and students who are English Language Learners. This new library, and the stories held in its books are symbolic of the power of possibility—el poder de la posibilidad—that lays before each student. As they move forward in their time at the academy, they will use this space to access the knowledge to imagine and create their futures, whether in education, careers, or civic leadership," said Dr. Calderón-Rosado. "I urge our supporters, corporate and community partners to continue to advocate for a holistic educational approach that validates and celebrates each student's full identity."

This event not only marks a new chapter for the academy, Boston Public Schools' first dual language high school, but also pays tribute to the dedication and contributions of Dr. Calderón-Rosado to Boston's Latino community. Together, the academy and Dr. Calderón-Rosado demonstrate the power and possibility of fostering access to education for all individuals.

In her remarks at the library's dedication, Dr. Calderón-Rosado said, "In this day and age, libraries are more important than ever! Just last week, the American Library Association reported that more books were banned in US school libraries in 2023 than ever before. Libraries have become a battleground for fighting against censorship and exclusion. It's my hope that the Vanessa Calderón-Rosado Library will stand against censorship, and that it will stay true to the important role that libraries play in our lives, in particular in the lives and education of our students in promoting the pursuit of knowledge and a quest for life-long learning."