PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Cultural Organization of Minnesota
203 North Howell St.
St. Paul, MN 55104
Contact: Lou Ann Matossian,
Director of Cultural and External Affairs
(612) 359-8991
MINNESOTA OBSERVES 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
o Governor, Mayors Proclaim Day of Remembrance
o Twin Cities Public Television Will Air New Documentary April 24
o Ohanessian Chair Eric Weitz to Keynote April 29 in St. Paul
St. Paul, MN
April 22, 2005
In memory of the 1.5 million Armenian victims of genocide during
World War I, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and the mayors of Duluth,
Minneapolis, Rochester, and Saint Paul have proclaimed April 24 as
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE DAY, the Armenian Cultural Organization of
Minnesota has announced.
The proclamations coincide with Twin Cities Public Television’s April
24 premiere of “The Armenian Genocide: 90 Years Later” at 7 p.m. on
Channel 17. Produced in partnership with the University of Minnesota’s
Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, with funding from the
Cafesjian Family Foundation, the hour-long program includes interviews
with University faculty and members of the Minnesota Armenian community.
Sociologist Taner Akçam, CHGS director Stephen Feinstein, and historian
Eric Weitz are featured.
On April 29 at 6 p.m, Minnesota’s annual commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide takes place at St. Sahag Armenian Church, 203 N.
Howell St., Saint Paul. Prof. Weitz, who holds the Arsham and Charlotte
Ohanessian Chair in the College of Liberal Arts, will keynote. Free and
open to the public, this event is presented by the Armenian Cultural
Organization of Minnesota and the following cosponsors: Armenian
American Action Committee of Minnesota (ARAMAC-MN), Armenian Dance
Ensemble of Minnesota, Armenian Ensemble, Armenian Youth Initiative,
Cafesjian Family Foundation, St. Cloud State University Center for
Holocaust and Genocide Education, St. Sahag Church and Community Center,
and the University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide
Studies.
Earlier this month, Minneapolis-based Minnesota Film Arts screened
the post-Genocide documentary “My Son Shall Be Armenian”
(Canada/Armenia, 2004) as part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International
Film Festival.