The Puerto Rican 

Cultural Center

Cordially invites you

 to a Meet and Greet luncheon

 with

Oliver Stone & 

Peter Kuznick

As part of its 

40th Anniversary 

Jornada Corretjer 

12noon

IPRAC, 3015 W. Division St.

$25.00 donation

RSVP by Jan 31st

Limited seating, contact

alejandrom@prcc-chgo.org 

Lizette Cruz's exhibition "La Musa Gitana" will be open from now until March 22, 2013. Patricia Perez's "40 Years of Struggle" will close on Mar. 8.  

We will celebrate both female artists during our Women's International Day Event on March 8, 2013.

Members of the National Boricua Human Rights Network - Orlando Chapter, recently participated in the Martin Luther King Parade March in Orlando on Saturday, January 19, 2013. 

Hundreds of spectators were on hand to watch the parade. Fliers with information regarding Oscar López Rivera were distributed and discussed with spectators and Parade participants. Many onlookers took pictures and were very interested in learning more about Oscar.

On Thursday, January 3, 2013, in the Jesus Mediador Community in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, the first celebration of what is known as the Promise of the Three Wise Men was organized. This activity directed by the Puerto Rican Troubadour, Jovino González, which also included Orlando Laureano, a "cuatro player" who made a unique historical contribution around  the promises of the Three Wise Men in the Puerto Rican tradition.

It all started with a meditation by Sister Idalia Seijo Rivera, followed by the traditional special request  to the Lord, made by those attending; the first one asking for the liberation of our political prisoner, Oscar López Rivera. Other requests prayed for their friends or family health , including Venezuelas's President Hon. Hugo Chavez. 

Afterwards special petitions included  family events, medical or people's needs and other international events.

Jovino González and his sisters performed five "aguinaldos" altogether, with the great devotion of over 900 attending people from all over the Island.

In the name of the Cabrera Romero Albarrán Del Valle families, I would like to thank all of the compañeros and compañeras for their support during these difficult times. Thank you for the Love and Respect that were  afforded to my Mother Mama and as she said "ARISE COMPANEROS AND LONG LIVE A FREE PUERTO RICO, MAY GOD BLESS YOU".

Xochitl Rámirez (daughter)

400 participants- educators, administrators, university and high school students, PACHS co-founders, past Directors, alumni and parents- were convoked on Saturday, January 26 to Roberto Clemente Community Academy to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School. 

The day's event- a Symposium celebrating the pedagogical philosophy pf the school and its implications and relevance for the future- consisted of the keynote address by Dr. Antonia Darder of Marymount College in Los Angeles, and a speech by José E. López, one of the founders and presently the Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. Professor López was introduced by Michelle Morales, Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School Board Treasurer and Associate Director of the Alternative Schools Network. 

Michelle began the morning by stating, "40 years!!! What a tremendous history for a school that fought against the impossible. Albizu Campos is a school that has defied all odds, that has stood the test of time and the test of repression. We stand before you today as a testimony to Chicago's Puerto Rican community, having survived FBI repression, having survived about 25 years of little to no funding with a high school staff that volunteered for a majority of that time." Flanked by 2 vertical banners of Irma Romero, a recently deceased member of the board of Directors and Oscar López Rivera, one of the schools co-founders who is presently imprisoned and serving a 70 sentence, she introduced Clemente Principal Marcey Sorensen, who welcomed the crowd to Clemente and spoke of the importance of the partnership with PACHS.

Next, Professor López spoke powerfully to the historicity of the moment, noting that several of the school's co-founders, including Carlos Alberto Torres, Puerto Rican National hero Rafael Cancel Miranda and special guests and panelists for the Symposium, Dr. Julio Muriente, professor at the University of Puerto Rico and Carlos Quiles, educator, were present. José recalled the moment of the High School's birth, noting that, "The backdrop to the foundation of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School was a very important moment. In 1966 there was a riot on Division Street, a riot which really was a rebellion. It was a rebellion against absentee landlords who had buildings filled with roaches and rats and subdivided their apartments so Puerto Ricans could live there and (the landlords) get incredible rents. It was a struggle against an education system that you were placed in the coatroom. When I came here in 1959, I was placed in a coatroom and a group of Puerto Ricans were placed in a coatroom because we were a problem in the school... It was against a host of incredible socio-economic issues... That rebellion created and brought about a new aspect and a new dimension to the Puerto Rican community and it was a dimension to organize... And in 1967 my brother, Oscar, returned from Vietnam, a decorated veteran and he came here to this community and was moved by the fact that Puerto Ricans had experienced a war situation a few months earlier..." José went on to develop the theme of the founders understanding that need to root themselves in the reality of the Puerto Rican community, which led directly to the founding of the Puerto Rican High School.

Dr. Bill Ayers, professor emeritus of the University of Illinois at Chicago, followed José and spoke of the holistic vision that is necessary to implement the kind of education that the founders of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School had started and that continues up to the present. Dr. Ayers has written extensively about social justice, democracy and education, the cultural contexts of schooling, and teaching as an essentially intellectual, ethical, and political enterprise.  He has been a tireless and vocal supporter of Albizu Campos and it's way of teaching and educating.

Ayers introduced Dr. Antonia Darder, radical educator and author, who studied under Brazilian educator Paolo Freire and began by drawing the line of historical continuity between the death of Pedro Albizu Campos and the school's founding by quoting, "Freire's anti-colonial pedagogy, with its focus on critical reflection, dialogue and action undergirds the school's emancipatory educational vision, which has sought to create the conditions for the "practice of freedom" and the evolution of critical consciousness among its students, parents, teachers, staff, and community." and then recognized the exceptional longevity and persistence of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School by saying, "Although many alternative schools sprung up during the same period in history, the Pedro Albizu Campos High School is one of the few that has retained its revolutionary purpose; not only surviving, but continuing to thrive, despite difficult conditions that persist in our communities."

After the moving keynote, the participants broke for lunch and a short presentation by Dr. Rene Antrop González on his book, "This School is my Sanctuary" based on his research at Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School. From there, participants broke up into the workshops which were repeated in the afternoon also so as to give all a chance to attend. The workshops titles and presenters names are available here. Visit our flickr site for photographs by clicking here.

Following the successful Symposium, the 40th Anniversary Gala took place at Northeastern Ilinois University took place at the Alumni Room that evening. Michelle Morales, emcee, also opened the evening with a tribute to Irma Romero and recognized another co-founder, Ida Luz Rodríguez and special guests and presenters at the Symposium earlier, Carlos Quiles, Educator and Dr. Julio Muriente. Marvin Garcia, Chairperson of the Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School Board, also spoke powerfully of his mentor, Ferd Eggan (deceased), Assistant Principal during Marvin's tenure as principal of the HS. Lourdes Lugo, also a former principal, paid special recognition of the Alumni and Staff present, as there were representatives of all 4 decades of the High School's history present. 

A special moment evocative of the combative birth of the school occurred when Myrna Burgos, the first principal of school took the stage with Ida Luz Rodríguez, another co-founder, and first in Spanish, then in English spoke about the importance then and now, of "La Escuelita" as it was called and ended her presentation by reminding all that the powerful work of it's co-founder, Oscar López Rivera, had yet to be completed, and must include his freedom.

José E. López, ED of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, then took the stage to introduce the honored guest, Rafael Cancel Miranda, who began as they say, at the beginning, recounting the history of the relationship, from the introduction, while he was imprisoned at Marion Federal Penitentiary, to the community and the students by Peoples' Law Office attorney Michael E. Deutsch, who was also present, and asked to take the stage. Don Rafael related how the student began writing to him and he to them and gradually they began calling him "Tio Pito" an affectionate nickname for the remarkable, legendary individual who went on to serve, with 4 compatriots, 25 years in prison before being pardoned by President Jimmy carter in 1979. Marta Rodríguez, a member of the first graduating class, was asked to take the stage with Don Rafa and sing a song. She choose 

Matt Rodriguez, current Principal of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School then closed the Gala by summarizing the momentous occasion, thanking everyone for theyr support and recognizing as all the previous speakers had, the need to unite to free the schools co-founder and political prisoner, Oscar López Rivera. The crowd of 200+ roared its agreement. 

The crowd ended the evening by dancing to the music provided by Willie Garcia y Su Orquestra.

Ciclo Urbano put together the Three Kings on bikes for the 19th Annual Three King Day Parade. The event was a success and all had tons of fun. The bike were decorated as horses, representing the traditional way we know the Three Kings. The project was made of all recycled materials by the bike club group from Ciclo Urbano.

Ciclo Urbano gained a new mascot, EL GALLO, when the bike club rescued a rooster from the freezing winter cold of Chicago. 

On Friday morning, January 25, 2013, the residents of El Rescate attended a workshop on hate crimes with the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations Chairperson, Mona Noriega. The focus of the workshop was to educate residents on their rights, as well as what to do if they have been a victim of a crime, discrimination or harassment. They covered statistics of hate crimes in the city of Chicago, as well as how to report a police officer who does not help with a hate crime investigation. They also talked about different cultures, religions, and lifestyles and how today all law enforcement agents need to be informed and sensitive to diversity of all kinds, including sexuality. We all feel more informed and empowered with this important information.

Freezing temperatures did not deter nearly seventy-five people from making a public pledge to actively support the international campaign for the incarceration of Oscar López Rivera. The event, hosted by Alyssa Villegas, a leader of Batey Urbano and editor of Que Ondee Sola, the Puerto Rican student newsletter at Northeastern Illinois University, and Matt Rodríguez, the principal of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School, was held at Batey Urbano on Sunday, January 20, 2013.

Michelle Morales, Network spokesperson, then read a reflection and thanks by Oscar written on the occasion of his 70th birthday on Jan 6, 2013. The attendees filled out pledge card and committed to take packets with 32 letters for President Obama, as well as, indicate any skills or resources they were willing to volunteer to the campaign.

After they filled out the pledge, several individuals stood up and spoke about what they were willing to contribute to the campaign - talking to prominent individuals, their church clergy, student organizations, organizing letter drives and helping to mobilize to community events were just some of the ways that people thought they could contribute.

Jan Susler, attorney for Oscar, related the support for Oscar's freedom generated by the Human Rights Summit last December in Puerto Rico as prominent personalities and international struggles were represented.

Matt McCanna, Batey leader and Network member then spoke about his video of the "31 Days for 31 Years" project and how it has helped the Network conduct educational work around the campaign.

Close to ten members of Oscar's family then took the stage, from the youngest Eli to Oscar's brother José, to thank everyone present for supporting the campaign thus far and exhort all to press forward in the upcoming period. Ricardo Jiménez took the stage, also to thank the crowd for all of their work, but more to remind them of the previous success in freeing Puerto Rican political prisoners in 1979, 1999 and more recently, in 2010 with Carlos Alberto Torres.

The event closed on a powerful, emotive note as a meal of white rice with stewed eggplant and chicken, avocado and lettuce salad, and cake was served. Lourdes Lugo, Oscar's niece and campaign spokesperson, explained that Clarisa, Oscar's daughter, has planned to cook this meal upon Oscar's release. Becky Rios, activist and student at NEIU, brought the cake and had the bakery write "Free Oscar López Rivera" on it. A fitting end to an activity that has re-energized the campaign to free Oscar in the Windy City.

Nobel Laureates Desmond Tutu, from South Africa, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Northern Ireland Peace People and Jose Ramos-Horta, former President of East Timor, and Nobel Peace Prize recipients are the subjects of short videos that call for the immediate release of Oscar López Rivera. 

All three spoke about the their struggles and how they related to freeing Oscar Lopez Rivera. Click here to view the videos on the NBHRN website.