It was a cold and rainy Saturday evening, but that did not stop those who took part in the PRCC's annual Paseo Boricua Parranda. This annual event attracted over 100 people who paraded down La Division along with pleneras y pleneros while proudly singing traditional Puerto Rican aguinaldos (parranda songs). The parranda gathered at the Hispanic Housing Teresa Roldán Senior Apartments, where residents kick off their holiday celebration with the parranderos, and where Alderman Maldonado attended with his wife, Nancy and family, and spoke to the residents. It culminated at La Bruquena Restaurant where families and friends gathered for dinner. The parranda participants were treated with delicious garlic-topped tostones from Papas Cache, hot chocolate and quesitos from Café Colao, coconut martinis from COCO's, and güineos y morcillas from La Bruquena. 

The parranda would not have been possible without the continued support of the Division Street Business Development Association, Hispanic Housing Teresa Roldán Senior Apartments, Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School, Puerto Rican Cultural Center, La Bruquena, Café Colao, La Casa de Don Oscar y Doña Blanca, Papas Cache, Jayuya Barbershop, Yauco Liquors, Luquillo Barbershop y Lily's Record Shop. Special thanks to Ivellise Díaz, David Rivera and all the musicians who continue to keep las tradiciones puertorriqueñas alive. 

  On December 18th, a group of 65 freshman and senior students from Roberto Clemente Community Academy (RCCA) celebrated the completion of the first semester of the 2013-2014 school year. The celebration marked a successful completion of the freshman's first semester, and the seniors' completion of 3 1/2 years of their high school careers. The event was hosted by the PRCC's College Pipeline program. The College Pipeline is a program that mentors students through the final year of high school and their first two years attending college. Mentors Alyssa Villegas & Rebecca Rios (NEIU), Maria Borrero (UIC), and Matt McCanna (Columbia College) distributed certificates of achievement to all the seniors to highlight their hard work and dedication through the first semester of their final year. 

Destiny Ares, a student in the Pipeline, and Sikarra Nicholas a student from Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos represented the Barrio Arts Culture Communications Academy (BACCA) to address the student body about the Anti Underage Drinking Campaign and reflected about their negative relationship with alcohol. After their reflection students performed spoken work and musical sets. To culminate the event, Professor Jose E. López spoke about the importance of establishing a culture of excellence in the Humboldt Park community and stressed the weight of coming back to the community with the knowledge and skills they gain in college to help transform the community.The celebration took place in Batey Urbano to intersect RCCA with the community. The students look forward to having their own events and critical discussions in the future.

As preparation for their MOY practice ACT exam, Clemente juniors participated in a mentally and physically stimulating day of test preparation and team building activities on Tuesday, December 10th 2013. 

Shortly after 1st period ended, the junior class made their way up to the 7th floor of Clemente to attend various content specific test taking strategy seminars with their ACT teammates.   Students rotated between sessions where they were taught content area specific test taking strategies or had the opportunity to practice their newly learned strategies using retired ACT passages. 

To reward students for their hard work and to reinforce the importance of camaraderie, students attended a 3 on 3 basketball tournament followed by an ice cream social and IPOD raffle.  After 5 single elimination rounds, Team Heavy Hitters beat Team One Goal  7-4.  Despite the losses, Chef L and his awesome crew of culinary students made things a whole lot sweeter by dishing out ice cream and various sundae toppings to the entire junior class!

At the meeting last Friday, representatives of most of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center programs gathered at the Division Street Business Development Association as part of it's 1st Tech Hub meeting.

The Tech Hub is the PRCC's effort to make the creation and curation of content for its online presence, including social media, a more collaborative effort. We are trying to incorporate staff and partner programs, not only in the production- the writing of content- but also in the web and multimedia aspects of content curation, including short, intensive trainings in photography, video and audio skills.

Present at the first meeting were representatives from El Rescate LGBTQ Transitional Housing initiative, Centro Infantil Corretjer Daycare, La Voz newspaper,  Diabetes Empowerment Center and National Boricua Human Rights Network, as well as Puerto Rican Cultural Center Executive Director José E. López. The meeting, convoked by Puerto Rican Cultural Center Board Secretary Alejandro Luis Molina aims, as José said,"making the PRCC one of the premier community-based organizations at incorporating technology in a collaborative fashion." We are adding representatives from Batey Urbano and Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School for the next meeting.

It was 9:45am when the first spectators arrived to watch the play Crime Against Humanity; although, doors were scheduled to open at 11:30, and play was to begin at 12:00 noon sharp.

Many arrived in company of their entire families, while younger crowds gathered all enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning in the front garden of El Centro Cultural de Coyoacan.

The cast made of very young Mexican and Puerto Rican artist has been rehearsing for days, and while building the set enacted and continued to memorize the last minute line of the play.

Days before a friend of the human rights cause used his radio program to promote the play, and were handing out tickets to callers that could answer the trivia questions pertaining to Puerto Rican Political Prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera. Within minutes dozens of callers would call simultaneously with the correct answer, showing once again the profound ties of Mexican people to the cause of Puerto Rican Freedom, and its fighters.

At 11:25 people lined up, seeking the best seats in the house, as it snaked through the garden and more people arrived. Doors open and a flock of youth made their way in. Bocafloja host of the event opened with his unique style of poetry/rap/expression. He was then joined by his brother who preformed one of many pieces addressing the new fascist policies in the Dominican Republic against its own people. Lourdes Lugo niece of Oscar Lopez Rivera spoke of his condition and case, as well as of the historical solidarity between the Puerto Rican and Mexican nations.

The play began, and the audience was so taken back that few moved out of their seats during intermission. At the end many stood, while others clenched their fist in tears, as they all realized the cruelty of the torture against the Puerto Rican Political Prisoners.

Instead of exiting the audience patiently lined up, signed the petition for Oscar's release, and stayed for another hour or so asking what they can do to support his freedom.

A special thanks to Bocafloja, Quilombo Arte and Michael Reyes for all of their work and solidarity with Oscar Lopez Rivera and Puerto Rico. Short videos can be seen here.

   Espero que se encuentre bien. Le envío saludos desde Caguas. Soy estudiante de la Escuela Superior José Gautier Benítez y le escribo porque en mi clase de Historia visité la exposición de pinturas que usted hizo. Le confieso que cuando visité su exposición presté mucha atención porque era algo interesante.

   Ahora que conozco su historia he aprendido a admirarlo porque usted demuestra que cuando un ser humano tiene un ideal debe seguirlo y luchar por él y aunque no comparto su ideal respeto su lucha y las causas de su lucha. Es injusto que usted tenga que estar más tiempo en la cárcel, usted lleva demasiado tiempo porque su condena es injusta. Nunca se dé por vencido, siga luchando por su excarcelación. 

Su historia es conocida por muchas personas. Además, sus amigos seguirán luchado por su libertad. Usted siga hacia delante. 

Espero que pueda salir pronto ya que su amigos y amigas lo están esperando con los brazos abiertos. No se rinda.

Cordialmente,

Will Ríos Pereira

La comunidad de la parroquia San Francisco Javier, en Gurabo, celebró esta madrugada su tradicional misa de Aguinaldo, en honor a la bandera puertorriqueña, que cumple hoy, domingo, 118 años. 

Durante la misa, oficiada por el padre Pedro Ortiz, se destacó la historia de la monoestrellada, y se reiteró un llamado a la reconciliación nacional y a que, desde la iglesia, prevalezcan los esfuerzos por lograr la justicia social. 

Además, se hizo un llamado a la liberación del puertorriqueño Oscar López Rivera, el prisionero político más antiguo del hemisferio y quien lleva 32 años preso en cárceles de Estados Unidos.

"Oscar tiene que estar en nuestra casa puertorriqueña", expresó padre Pedro, provocando aplausos de los feligreses, muchos de los cuales tenían vestimenta u objetos alusivos a la bandera puertorriqueña. 

Ortiz defendió la importancia de la participación en esfuerzos que promuevan el desarrollo de una sociedad justa.  "Hay que insertarse en las luchas sociales, la iglesia tiene el deber de insertarse en esas luchas", insistió. Siga leendo.

La Unión de Abogados y Abogadas de Servicios Legales de Puerto Rico ha sido siempre fiel creyente y defensora de los derechos humanos no solamente para el pueblo boricua, sino para todos los pueblos del mundo. El compromiso con la justicia y la equidad marcan nuestra trayectoria y por ello buscamos alianzas con quienes comparten el sueño de que sean esos valores los que prevalezcan en la sociedad. No es casualidad que nuestro taller de trabajo sea la reivindicación de los derechos de la gente más vulnerable.

Como ejemplo del compromiso que tenemos con la defensa universal de los derechos humanos nos llena de orgullo dedicar la Asamblea de este año 2013 a una persona que por sus acciones, valentía, solidaridad, sensibilidad, sencillez, calidez humana y amor sin límites por nuestra Patria, ha logrado unir al Pueblo puertorriqueño en un sólido consenso por su excarcelación, el compatriota OSCAR LÓPEZ RIVERA. Siga leendo.