William Aguilar Cultural Arts Award

This award recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the understanding of the national Latino community and/or culture through the fine, creative, and performing arts.

2021 William Aguilar Cultural Arts Award Recipient

Javier Avila
Poet, Novelist, Professor, and Public Speaker

Javier Ávila, PhD is a celebrated poet, novelist, professor, and public speaker. His illustrious literary career and the massive outreach of his one-man show, The Trouble with My Name, have made him a prominent Hispanic voice. The show is a national phenomenon, with over 180 performances across the U.S. With his message of unity, thousands have embraced the presentation as a profoundly edifying experience that is at once a history lesson on Hispanic heritage, an examination of discrimination in America, a celebration of Puerto Rican culture, and an open platform for a continued conversation about equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

The power of The Trouble with My Name is largely attributed to Ávila’s talent as an educator. In 2015, Ávila was named Pennsylvania Professor of the Year by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. He is the first Latino to receive this award. Read more...

List of Past Recipients