Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Quick Facts on Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
- Born in San Antonio in 1955; raised nearby in the small town of Devine
- Enrolls at The University of Texas at Austin, discovers a love for journalism while working at a Spanish-language radio station and at the Daily Texan; graduates with honors in 1976
- Earns a master's degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in 1977
- Begins her professional journalism career in 1977 as a copy editor and reporter for United Press International in Dallas
- From 1979 to 1988 works as a newspaper and TV reporter in Dallas and Boston; from 1988 to 1996 works as border bureau chief for the Dallas Morning News in El Paso
- Serves on the committee that organizes and founds the National Association of Hispanic Journalists
- Attends the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Freedom Forum doctoral fellow, earning a Ph.D. in mass communication in 1998
- Since 1999 has spearheaded the U.S. Latino and Latina World War II Oral History Project, which has collected interviews with more than 450 people; project has included a conference, an edited volume of academic manuscripts, a play, a documentary film with educational materials, a general interest book, and a video, audio and photographic archive.
- Gains national prominence in 2007 by leading protests that Ken Burns’ forthcoming PBS documentary “The War” did not include any Latinos; Burns incorporates Latino stories into the 14-hour, seven-part documentary, airing in September
- Receives the Ruben Salazar Award for Communications from the National Council of La Raza in 2007; the award is given each year to an individual who has dedicated his or her life to promoting a positive portrayal of Latino historical, political, economic, and cultural contributions to American society