Bertha was a pioneering educator in the realm of bilingual education but she was an activist in her own right. The most sublime attributes of her son and grandson are mirror images of the humbled practices and lessons she taught them through her lived examples. 

Visitation will be at:

The Cremation Society of Illinois

6471 N. Northwest Highway

Chicago, IL 60631

on Friday, March 21, 3-8pm.

She has chosen to be cremated. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Les Turner ALS Foundation.

Due to the hard work of our College Pipeline Mentors, Maria Borrero, UIC Mentor, Matt McCanna, Columbia College Mentor and Rebecca Rios and Alyssa Villegas, our Northeastern Illinois University Mentors, the following students have been accepted into college.

 The following 8 students have been accepted into University of Illinois at Chicago:

Amanda Marciano  Jessica Robinson

Miguel Luz  Jasmine Gonzalez

Felipe Crespo  Anthony Justinano

Giovanni Islas  Angel Davila

The following 8 students have been accepted to Columbia:

Destiny Ares   Brandon Gonzalez
Shavone Matthews   Beatris Osorio
Alexis Burgos   Sormaris Burgos
Argenis Hernandez   Jakoby Lopez

The following 6 students have been accepted to Northeastern Illinois University:

Alina Santana   Angel Davila 

Gina Vega    Luis Susana

Jovani Salgado   Marisol Ortiz

On Friday, March 14th, 2014 the monthly General Assembly of the PRCC was dedicated to the memory of the Puerto Rican patriot Luis Nieves Falcón. A short video of Luis Nieves Falcón last trip to Chicago was played in which he rendered homage to the patriot Oscar López Rivera. This was followed by a moving and powerful presentation by the renowned Puerto Rican lawyer, writer and human rights activist Eduardo Villanueva. Villanueva's presentation zeroed in on Nieves Falcón's political transformation from a leading position in the Popular Democratic Party to becoming one of Puerto Rico's most important spokesperson, on a national and international level, for the independence of Puerto Rico. He also touched on Nieves Falcon's scholarship and deep commitment to social justice, equity and human rights. Nieves Falcón fought the good fight in every major Puerto Rican struggle during the past 50 years: from the anti-militarism campaign to the struggle to withdraw the US navy from Vieques and Culebra; from the efforts to stop strip mining in Puerto Rico to the efforts to make Spanish the official language of the island; from the movement to stop the building of a gas pipeline on the island to the struggle for workers and women's rights; from the battle to democratize the University of Puerto Rico to the crusade to release Puerto Rican political prisoners. According to Villanueva, Nieves' words, both spoken and written, became the spears and shields in the quest for liberation.

The Last Prisoner  tells the story of Oscar López Rivera, the sole remaining Puerto Rican political prisoner. The decorated Vietnam veteran and community organizer who would subsequently work for the independence of Puerto Rico is now at the center of a struggle to set him free from a long and difficult imprisonment.  

He has been in prison since May 29, 1981. Twelve of those years were spent in solitary confinement despite the fact that Oscar was never convicted of crimes that resulted in deaths or injuries or ever accused of any act of violence.

The fight for Oscar's freedom has united Puerto Ricans and many others from across the United States, Puerto Rico and around the world. In 2013, artists, politicians, famous athletes and ordinary people went to symbolic prison cells on the anniversary of Oscar's incarceration. And the cries for freedom are growing louder: Five Nobel Peace Prize winners including Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa have all joined the call for his pardon and release.

Click here to contribute to this exciting effort!

The NBHRN is excited to invite artists to participate in postcards4oscar, an art exhibition and fundraiser for the freedom of Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera, who has been in prison for over 32 years. We hope that you will consider participating in this important event that will help to raise awareness for Oscar's release and we invite you to contribute to this unique invitational exhibition, and sale of original art.

postcards4oscar is a fundraising exhibition showcasing artists' work from throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Artists will submit 4" x 6" works of art on a postcard that we will provide. The artwork will be exhibited anonymously (signed on back) and sold on a first-come, first-served basis for $50. Only after selecting and purchasing a piece will a buyer learn the identity of the artist. Artists may work in any medium or style and may submit more than one postcard if so desired.

The exhibition will take place in New York at the Julia de Burgos Cultural Center on May 24th, with an Artist Preview Event on May 23rd.

Final submissions of artwork must be received by May 12th.