The Young Lords Movement for Social Justice
New York Branch
Another figure: Jose Martinez
Another area in which Puerto Ricans migrated to after WWII was New York in which they established a neighborhood in East Harlem. In 1969, a branch of the Young Lords expanded to this community after Jose Martinez gained José Jiménez’s permission (Library of Congress, n.d.).
Images from the Garbage Offensive
Mission
The YLO in New York's mission of fighting against injustices placed upon the Puerto Rican community remained the same. Like the Chicago branch, they also used the media to their benefit and spread the words of their mission through their own newspaper: Palante (Piña, 2015). Through their work, they reformed the community by retaliating against the poor conditions in East Harlem. The city had poor sanitation and was overlooked by the local Department of Sanitation. When they were denied brooms to clean up their community, the Young Lords organized a group to clean up the area on their own and burn the garbage pile in the middle of an intersection. This “Garbage Offensive” brought attention to the poor sanitation services in the low-income areas of East Harlem (Library of Congress, n.d.). Another major impact which the YLO made on the community was when they occupied East Harlem’s First Spanish United Methodist Church. They were able to convert it to “the People’s Church for 11 days, where they provide public services such as free breakfast programs, educational workshops, and healthcare services to low-income residents” (Library of Congress, n.d.). These are just some of the countless examples where the Young Lords stepped up in the community and demanded fair treatment for Puerto Ricans.
The Decline of the Young Lords
The Young Lords Organization worked for social change throughout the country but specifically in Chicago and New York. They were successful in building a movement which fought the discrimination and racism which Puerto Ricans faced. Unfortunately, the Young Lords disbanded by 1976; one branch of the organization, the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Workers Organization, was explicitly anti-capitalist, pro-union, and pro-communist. Due to continued pressures from the U.S. government and the FBI, the group membership declined and eventually dissolved (Westcott, 2018). Even though the Young Lords Organization does not exist, their legacy and story remain alive. They provided countless resources to Puerto Rican communities and fought for their civil rights. The Young Lords Organization was able to provide a voice for the voiceless; tengo Puerto Rico en mi corazón.
Palante Newspapers
