Garbage burning in the street, FBI espionage, and the creation of one of the most influential Latino civil rights groups in American history—this is the story of the Young Lords. Starting in Chicago and spreading to New York, the Young Lords Organization was a radical activist group that fought against oppression in their communities and beyond. Exemplifying a revolutionary activism that is often left out of contemporary history classes, the Young Lords brought about profound change in a short time span, cementing their legacy in Latino History.
The Lincoln Park Story
In the summer of 1968, Jose “Cha Cha” Jimenez served a 60-day sentence in what is today known as Cook County Jail. Jimenez was the leader of a Chicago street gang titled the Young Lords, composed mostly of Puerto Rican members. The group had been formed as a response to other gangs in Lincoln Park, but mostly as a response to racist practices from the majority White residents of the area. During his time in jail, Jimenez read the works of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, in addition to hearing of the Black Panthers’ efforts over the radio. By the time of his release, Jimenez had been inspired to work towards something better and soon converted his gang into the Young Lords Organization (YLO).
In their early days, the YLO focused on working against urban renewal and police brutality in the Lincoln Park area. Meanwhile, Jimenez met with many different Latino/Chicano and Black activist groups, including Fred Hampton—a prominent leader of the Chicago Black Panthers. The YLO developed tactics of militant activism and social service as a method for political education, inspired by similar methods of the Black Panther Party. They fought against urban renewal—real estate development leading to racially motivated displacement—and worked to provide basic necessities to their community.
In July of 1969, the YLO requested to convert the Armitage Methodist Church into a daycare while not in use. After being denied, the organization led a sit-in occupation, during which they set up a daycare, free health clinic, free breakfast program for children, and a Puerto Rican cultural center gaining national attention. Some of the healthcare they provided included preventative care, prenatal care, eye exams, etc. The YLO went on to create a newspaper dedicated to educating their community on politics and Puerto Rican culture.
Recognizing police repression against many groups in Chicago, the YLO became a part of Fred Hampton’s Rainbow Coalition along with a White Appalachian group known as the Young Patriots. Together these groups moved to end police repression and urban renewal among other issues.
The New York Story
In 1969, a few young Puerto Rican students—Jose Martinez, “Mickey” Melendez, and Juan Gonzalez—met “Cha Cha” Jimenez. They were inspired by the Young Lords Organization in Chicago and asked permission to begin a chapter in New York City. Soon after, the Young Lords Party (YLP) was born in New York, similarly composed of mostly Puerto Ricans. As opposed to their Chicago counterparts, the founders of the YLP had college educations leading to some differences in their beliefs. However, their core values remained the same, including community support.
The YLP canvassed their communities such as East Harlem, discovering an overwhelming concern with garbage services—which were sporadic at best. After their request for brooms from the sanitation department was denied, they forcibly took the brooms and began cleaning up the community. Even after collecting the trash into manageable piles for sanitation to collect, the department still did not arrive. In response the YLP initiated the “Garbage Offensive,” and set large piles of trash on fire in the middle of the street, prompting the arrival of police and firefighters. With the help of their newspaper, radio show, and clever tactics this event garnered national attention and led to reform of the NY Sanitation Department.
In December of that same year, the Young Lords Party went on to occupy the First Spanish United Methodist Church. The building was not used during the weekdays and the pastor did not provide adequate aid to the poor people of the community. When the YLP spoke to the congregation on the issue, the reverend had called the police, which led to the arrest and beating of multiple members. The Young Lords reacted quickly by occupying the church and starting multiple community programs. The new “People’s Church” provided free breakfast, clothing programs, health services, community dinners, and a liberation school. About a week later, the NYPD moved in and arrested 106 members and supporters. Once again, the Young Lords Party had made national headlines, which brought Puerto Rican issues to the forefront of American discussion.
The Young Lords Party went on to lead many more occupations, marches, and programs during the height of their organization. They “liberated” an x-ray truck to test for tuberculosis in the community. The Lincoln hospital in the South Bronx was officially condemned yet never replaced. Two occupations later, and the city began building a new Lincoln hospital in 1976. Testing for lead poisoning, affordable housing initiatives, and mediation for improved prison conditions are a few of the many successful campaigns for human rights led by the Young Lords Party.
Radical Philosophies
One of the main goals of the Young Lords was self-determination for Puerto Rico in regard to their neo-colonial state, which in many ways continues today. Despite the heavy Puerto Rican influence, the group realized the variety of people that face similar struggles and the interconnected nature of systemic barriers. This concept was so deeply ingrained in the organization that their 13 Point Program included multiple points voicing their support for all Latino, Black, Asian, and Native populations—thereby declaring themselves “revolutionary nationalists that opposed racism.” In the same vein, the Young Lords voiced intentions of controlling their own institutions and land to provide for their people. They followed this with an emphasis on educating other Puerto Ricans of their Afro-Indio culture and Spanish language. These ideals portrayed the race conscious mindset of the Young Lords as to their own ancestry and systemic injustices in the U.S. Consequently, various people joined the organization’s ranks including large numbers of Black Americans and other Latinos.
Due to Latinas holding leadership roles, gender issues were a core part of the Young Lords Party. Leaders such as Denise Oliver-Velez made it a point to add the declaration, “Down with Machismo and Male Chauvinism,” to their 13 Point Program. Ever the pioneers, the YLP were one of the first civil rights organizations of the time to have a Gay and Lesbian caucus. The impact that the Young Lords had on the early Gay Rights Movement in New York can best be seen through one of their members, Sylvia Rivera. Rivera was an active YLP member who learned tactics of radical activism, which she later applied with her mentor Marsha P. Johnson during the Stonewall riots—a pivotal moment for LGBT rights.
With more college educated members than their Chicago counterparts, the YLP held many socialist and Marxist ideals leading to their initiatives concerning affordable housing and health care. A combination of armed self-defense, rhetoric of Puerto Rican independence, and national media attention placed a target on the Young Lords by various governmental powers.
Decline
From the first church occupations in Chicago to the East Harlem Garbage Offensive, city officials had quickly begun targeted arrests and other attacks. Soon after, the FBI became involved via their infamous Counter-Intelligence Program—better known as COINTELPRO. During this initiative the FBI illegally surveilled, infiltrated, assassinated, and destabilized various radical organizations and their members. The Young Lords were amongst the targets, along with many other Puerto Rican and Latino groups, Black Power organizations, and communist groups.
After the murder of Fred Hampton, the Chicago Young Lords lost much of its momentum, with many members stepping back in fear of the state-sanctioned murder. The organization faced many issues with discontent amongst their members fueled by differing beliefs and dissension spread by COINTELPRO agents through disinformation and false communications.
In New York, the Party began a mission to move their group to Puerto Rico which led to much disagreement amongst the organization. Returning from a failed mission, the YLP soon became a Marxist-Leninist group known as the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Workers Organization. Not long after, this faction fell out of the national eye and lost much of its momentum.
In the early 1970s, many civil rights groups lost motivation with the deaths of various leaders—splintering into factions. For groups like the Young Lords, infighting and paranoia was the beginning of the end. If it were not for the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts, the FBI’s tactics would be hidden away. Meanwhile, other agencies—like the NYPD—seem to have lost their records.
Honoring History
Despite their short-lived activity (1968-1972), the Young Lords were incredibly successful in their efforts. They were responsible for a multitude of community programs, reform of sanitation practices, the building of a hospital, resistance to gentrification, and more. They also had unforeseen influences on the Stonewall riots and a Latino art renaissance in New York.
The spotlight of civil rights history is often focused on a few non-violent leaders, such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. While groups that do not reflect the same ideals are condemned to the margins of whitewashed American textbooks. Despite their differences, all of these revolutionaries deserve credit for their efforts. History is not complete without a multitude of perspectives, and we do ourselves a disservice not to learn from their successes and failures. Therefore we celebrate Latino History Month by reconnecting with the past and learning from those like the Young Lords.
The Armitage Methodist church mentioned above was the site of the first community occupation led by the Young Lords; today it is simply a Walgreens. Let this serve as a physical manifestation of forgotten history and a warning. We must always continue to learn, grow, and ask important questions or risk losing our past. How were these organizations silenced? What can we take away from their efforts? Who do our historical narratives serve? Only in this way do we truly honor history and always move forward.
¡Palante siempre palante!
Louisville Political Review 