Award-winning actress, writer and philanthropist Rosario Dawson will serve as spokesperson for the 5th Annual National Train Day and share her love of train travel and how it allows her to be involved in the community in a more personal way with rail fans. A celebration of train travel and the ways that trains touch the lives of people across America, National Train Day will take place in Dawson’s native New York City, at train stations in Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, and in communities nationwide, on Saturday, May 12, 2012. This year’s festivities will highlight the unique perspective passengers enjoy as they take in the beauty and vastness of the American landscape from the comfort of their seats when traveling by rail.

“I am delighted to join Amtrak and train fans everywhere in celebrating National Train Day. I love trains not only because they offer a more intimate way to see the country and experience the communities along the way, but also because they are one of the greenest ways to travel, which is a value that has always been important to me,” says Rosario Dawson.

“So many of my very first memories of travel as a kid in New York City were on the train,” adds Dawson. “I remember riding on Amtrak and jumping up at the first opportunity to visit the cafe car. It’s great to be able to walk around, hang out and grab a bite at my leisure. I’m always watching the fast changing scenery through the windows which can be as mesmerizing as a film. It always makes the trip so much more vivid.”

“We are thrilled to have Rosario Dawson, someone who is an inspiration both on and off the screen, as our spokesperson for the 5th Annual National Train Day,” says Emmett Fremaux, Amtrak Vice President, Marketing and Product Development. “Like many of our customers, she is passionate about staying connected to her community and is someone who enjoys the journey, not just the destination.”

A multi-faceted talent, Dawson is known to her legions of fans for her work in film, her leading roles with today’s hottest actors and directors, as well as her efforts as a philanthropist in communities across the country. When not starring opposite the likes of Will Smith in Men In Black II and Seven Pounds, Denzel Washington in Unstoppable, and Edward Norton in 25th Hour, Dawson is supporting a variety of community organizations. She is the co-founder of Voto Latino, the country’s leading non-partisan organization dedicated to bringing new and diverse voices into the political process to promote positive change, and is an active board member of V-Day, a global organization founded by Eve Ensler committed to ending violence against women and girls. An ardent environmentalist, Dawson works with the Environmental Media Association to promote healthy, sustainable lifestyles and inspire environmentally responsible behavior, and serves as a mentor through its School Garden Program which provides interdisciplinary and student-centered experiences to enrich learning through “living classrooms.” Dawson also lends her time and efforts to the Lower Eastside Girls Club in Manhattan, a group devoted to helping girls grow, learn, have fun, and develop confidence in themselves and their ability to make a difference in the world.

National Train Day will bring the “rail way” to life for attendees, and those participating online and through social media. To join in the celebration, passengers inspired by their train travel experience are encouraged to submit photos, video and stories at NationalTrainDay.com, facebook.com/NationalTrainDay or @natltrainday for a chance to win prizes.

A release date for the film “Ten Year” has finally been set and announced! It will be out in theaters on September 21st!

According to Collider.com, Rosario Dawson is set to co-star in the upcoming Cesar Chavez biopic titled “Chavez”. They are saying that Rosario Dawson was cast as Dolores Huerta, Chavez’s partner in activism and co-founder of what eventually became the United Farm Workers.

The script by Keir Pearson (Hotel Rwanda) will focus on Chavez organizing “the largest non-violent protest in U.S. history to accomplish his ultimate goal of obtaining basic human rights for over 50,000 farm workers in California.” Shooting is scheduled to begin next month in Mexico.

Rosario Dawson is to perform in the West End for a charity event next month.

Dawson will act alongside Olivia Williams, Meera Syal, Trudie Styler and Eve Ensler in A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant and a Prayer, which is a collection of monologues exploring violence. They have been edited by Ensler, who is the author of The Vagina Monologues.

Dawson will perform In Memory of Imette by Periel Aschenbrand. The evening will feature between five and ten monologues and is being produced by Lauren Prakke and Michelle Yue.

The event will be held on March 26 at the Lyric Theatre. All proceeds will go to charities Women for Women International, V-Day and Domestic Violence Intervention Project. The proceeds from every ticket sold will be tripled by Goldman Sachs Gives and The Millby Trust.

TheStage.co.uk

EA and Starbreeze Studios are enlisting high-profile actors for the voice cast of first-person shooter Syndicate. Rosario Dawson and Brian Cox will both play major characters in the game.

Dawson (Clerks II, Death Proof) will play Lily Drawl. Like the player, she’s an agent employed by the syndicate EuroCorp. However, she’s conflicted about her job and sympathizes with the underground resistance to the megacorporation’s reign.

“I’m amazed how videogames have become so deep in story, delivering fantastic worlds and memorable characters rivaling big Hollywood films,” said Dawson. “I was excited when EA approached me to play Lily Drawl in Syndicate. She’s an interesting and strong female character. How cool is it to play the mastermind who designed the military chip inside the player’s head!”

Cox, who appeared in X-2: X-Men United and The Bourne Supremacy among many others, portrays Jack Denham in the game. Denham is said to be the ruthless EuroCorp executive described as the “power behind the boardroom throne.” I’m gonna guess he’s a bad guy.

Michael Wincott (Alien: Resurrection, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) was also confirmed for the voice cast. He plays a seasoned EuroCorp agent. Considering he mostly plays villains in films and video games (he was the Prophet of Truth in Halo 2), it’s safe to assume he’s not your BFF in this game.

“Syndicate immerses players deep into a dystopian world of unscrupulous corporations and chip augmented enforcers,” said Mikael Nermark, CEO of Starbreeze Studios. “These agents are the weapons of this war for market dominance and we needed strong talent to represent these intense characters. We are honored to have worked with the incredible Rosario Dawson, Brian Cox and Michael Wincott to make this world come alive.”

Syndicate will be released later this month on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

CinemaBlend.com

We all need to become involved. We can’t sit on our hands waiting for the change we want to see. Sí se puede, but only if we demand it.

The election may be several months away, but this is not the year to stay home. There are few issues I care about more than promoting the vote, particularly among young American Latinos. I firmly believe that the quality of our future as the second largest population relies on our ability to mobilize today. This is what in 2004 compelled me to found Voto Latino, the country’s leading organization in registering and engaging young Latino voters.

I’m excited about rallying people to the polls next year. But the current political mood worries me. I know that for some of us it may be tempting to stay home on Nov. 6, 2012. Maybe you’re unemployed or uninsured. Maybe you lost your home to foreclosure or are drowning in student loans. Maybe you voted for the first time in 2008, but now think that it doesn’t matter who wins because things don’t change.

You might think it’s sending a strong message to withhold your vote. But staying home will only accomplish one thing: It will make you irrelevant. There’s no doubt that there are many issues out there that need to be fixed—and badly. Unemployment among Latinos is higher than the national average. More than 25 percent of our people live in poverty. People continue to be deported at record numbers. But that’s why Latinos need to get more involved, not less.

At times like these, we need to remember that elected officials respond to two things: money and votes. Now, most of us don’t have wads of cash to throw around, but we all have the power of the vote. The trip to your nearest precinct is only the beginning of your role in making our government responsive and effective.

Just like you wouldn’t tell your child to clean his or her room and expect it to be done without nagging, getting our elected officials to address our needs requires vigilance and accountability. And there’s an abundance of recent examples that show that when people act, change happens. Look at Arizona. Just one year ago, it looked lost to divisiveness and hate. But S.B. 1070 seems to have awakened Arizonans, and last November they booted Russell Pearce, the man who spearheaded passage of the controversial and strict immigration law, out of office.

We also need to remember that the election later this year will do more than decide who is going to live in the White House. Ballots will also include races for every level of government from school boards and city councils to state and federal representation. Funding for our children’s schools, state and local tax rates and other local laws that affect every one of us are often decided by the few people who do show up to vote.

It might seem early to start talking about an election that’s 10 months away, but now is the time to register to vote, and get your friends and family registered. And if you have moved since the last election, make sure to update your voter registration. At Voto Latino, our calendar for next year is full of events that celebrate our vote, that remind us that our power begins at the polls and gives our young leaders the tools they need to create positive change in their communities. We recently had an event in Texas where we registered about 5,000 high school seniors. Hearing stories about the students connecting issues that affect their lives to steps they can take to regain control over their future was empowering and reaffirming.

We all need to become involved. We can’t sit on our hands waiting for the change we want to see. Sí se puede, but only if we demand it.

Written by Rosario Dawson for Latina.com

The Lifetime television movie “Five has been nominated at the 2012 NAACP Image Awards! The film is up for “Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special” and Rosario Dawson is nominated for “Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special”.

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
“Five” (Lifetime Movie Network)
“Hallmark Hall of Fame, Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith” (ABC)
“Luther” (BBC America)
“The Least Among You” (Showtime)
“Thurgood” (HBO)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Anika Noni Rose – “Hallmark Hall of Fame, Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith” (ABC)
Jenifer Lewis – “Five” (Lifetime Movie Network)
Rosario Dawson – “Five” (Lifetime Movie Network)
Taraji P. Henson – “Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story” (Lifetime)
Tracee Ellis Ross – “Five” (Lifetime Movie Network)

Rosario Dawson stars in the music video for the song “Supercool” by the group The Bullitts – watch the video right here!