“Irish Pioneers in Arizona and Their Contributions to Our State” is the topic of the free Faces of Diversity Brown Bag series at noon Friday, March 16, at the Phoenix City Council Chambers, 200 W. Jefferson St.
Patricia Prior, executive director of The Irish Cultural Center, will share Irish poetry. Active in Phoenix’s Irish community for more than 40 years, Prior is enthusiastic about sharing music, literature and theater that reflect real Irish culture (instead of the stereotypes).
She and her husband, Sean, recently were chosen as The Irish Cultural Center’s “2012 Irish Persons of the Year.”
Next, Janice Ryan Bryson, author and co-founder of the “Irish Arizona Project,” will present “Irish Pioneers in Arizona and Their Contribution to Our State.”
Bryson is the fifth generation of her family to live in Arizona. Named an Arizona culture-keeper for her Irish research, Bryson also authored the book “Irish Arizona,” along with Kathy Wood.
The free event is co-sponsored by the Phoenix Human Relations Commission and the city’s Equal Opportunity Department. The Faces of Diversity series features dynamic people telling their stories about diversity. Bring your lunch and enjoy a cultural experience.
No reservation is needed. For more information, call (602) 495-0358 or (602) 534-1557/TTY, or visit phoenix.gov/eod/whatsnew.
