Activism and Organization Tactics of the Young Lords
“At one point in every revolutionary’s life, you have to know when to take the sword and pound it into plowshares,” Felipe Luciano said. “You do it, and you do it in a progressive manner.”
Co-founded by activists such as Felipe Luciano, the Young Lords chapter in New York utilized a bold and confrontational approach to combat the social and economic inequalities faced by Puerto Ricans and other minorities in their local community. At the forefront of their efforts was a vivid display of their identity, with the intention of asserting their cultural heritage and calling for recognition for their community. In most, if not all, of their protests, the Young Lords showcased the Puerto Rican flag, at one point draping it from the crown of the Statue of Liberty during the landmark’s eight-hour occupation.
In mid-1969, the Young Lords recognized the lack of sanitation services in their local community—disproportionately affecting the lower class—and took action, engaging in the notable “Garbage Offensive.” They formed an initiative to clean up dirty, neglected parts of the city, and ultimately, when their efforts were ignored by the government, they took matters into their own hands. In an act of civil disobedience, the Young Lords placed the uncollected garbage in the road, set it on fire, and showed they would no longer be disrespected. Unsurprisingly, this collective action brought national attention to the issue of "environmental racism," and eventually, the government improved the garbage collection process in the community.
Seeing their success with the “Garbage Offensive,” the Young Lords continued to fight systematic oppression with creative—and often more violent—methods. In December 1969, the group forcibly took over the First Spanish Methodist Church, which they renamed it to the “People’s Church” for the 11 days they were inside. As they did before, the Young Lords provided basic services for the often forgotten community, offering a day care, health services, and a breakfast program. They demanded social justice and called for solutions to the problems faced by the low-income communities, once again using imaginative means to bring attention to the inequalities they faced.
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