The Puerto Rican Cultural Center and the National Boricua Human Rights Network are mobilizing a contingent to New York City for the 2014 National Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan, NY. 

Departing date: Thursday, June 5th at 7:00 p.m.  Arriving in New York on Friday June 6.

On Sunday, June 8th, the City of Chicago and its Puerto Rican Community will be honored with the dedication of the National Puerto Rican Parade of New York. Representing Chicago will be Hipolito "Paul" Roldan, CEO of Hispanic Housing and Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez. The Parade is also honoring legendary community activist and political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera. For more information on cost and logistics, contact Edwin Cortes at edwinc@prcc-chgo.org.

San Francisco, CA

Tuesday May 27, 2014

7:00 - 8:30 at 518 Valencia St., SF

New videos, updates on the campaign,

performance by Rico Pabón and others TBA.

Orlando, FL

May 29 Press Conference in front of Orlando City Hall

11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Community Vigil, corner of Semoran Blvd and Curryford. 7:30pm

Philadelphia, PA

Vigil and Press Conference, 5pm

Corner of 5th and Market

Cleveland, OH

Vigil and Press Conference, 4:30-5:30pm

Corner of Clark and Fulton

Detroit, MI

Overpass Bannering (all day)

Chicago, IL

33 * Years of Oscar's incarceration

   * Women bicycling in Oscar's footsteps

   * Minutes reflecting on Oscar's footprint for social justice in Chicago

Traversing Oscar's footprints for Social Justice, across the Chicago

Culminating Event: Casa Puertorriquena, 1237 N. California, 5-6pm

Prof. Norma Guillard, in town for the Latin American Studies Association conference last weekend, visited the Puerto Rican Cultural Center and its programs last Tuesday. Norma joined the Cuban Literacy Campaign of 1961 when she was 15 years old, and is one of the young women featured in Catherine Murphy's documentary Maestra about the women and girls who taught their nation to read & write on the Campaign. 

A social psychologist from Santiago de Cuba, she is one of the first Cuban women of her generation to call herself a feminist. She primarily works on the issues of gender, race, sexual orientation - and issues of diversity & identity in a Cuban and Caribbean context.

She is an adjunct professor at the University of Havana teaching largely on issues of psychology and gender. She is a past president of the Cuban Association of Psychologists and an Advisor to UNESCO and UNDP on the issues of gender in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. She is a principal collaborator at the National Center for the Prevention of AIDS and the National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX), which is spearheading the historic work to educate against homophobia and lobby for civil unions. She is one of the founders of "Oremi", the first organization of lesbian & bisexual women in Cuba.

Roberto Clemente Community Academy
International Baccalaureate Candidate School
A new future, a new vision, a world class education in our community

On Saturday, May 24th Rebaño was honored to have so many friends join the celebration of "Returning Home" as one body thanked God for providing them the strength needed for the journey.  Rebaño Church, its leadership and members are committed to continue living out their mission of connecting people to God so that they can discover purpose, unleash potential, and achieve destiny.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the first school in the US to be named after legendary Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, Clemente Community Academy is offering the opportunity to become a part of that history. For a limited time, we will commemorate donations to the Roberto Clemente 40th anniversary fundraiser by adding the names of those who have contributed to the Wall of Fame. This will be a permanent display in our lobby which will highlight the names of all who have given generously  to the celebration. Each brick will carry the name of the person making the donation or one of the below options. The donations will fall into 3 categories, Standard $50, All-Star $100, and MVP $250.

3 pricing options-

* Wall of Fame-$50 donation

* All-Star $100 donation

* MVP $250 donation

 All bricks are bronze with black lettering and border

 Naming options available are :

* Name

* Name and Graduation Year

* Mr & Mrs Name

On May 24th, UrbanTheater Company (UTC) turned nine years old! They have been contributing 9 years to Humboldt Park community and the Chicago Theater landscape. This summer, they announced UTC Summer Series 2014, which features the critically acclaimed remount for Theater on the Lake, First Class and its 2nd annual R.A.W. (Real. Aggressive. Writing.) series. 

For tickets visit: http://bit.ly/UTCFirstClass or www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org!

Postcards4Oscar Artist Preview, $20

Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center

1680 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10029

Thursday, June 5, 11am

Press Conference

Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center

1680 Lexington Avenue

Thursday, June 5, 7-9pm

Postcards4Oscar Main Event, free

Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center

1680 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10029

Thursday, June 5, 7pm

El Antillano (Film on Ramon Emeterio Betances dedicated to Oscar) $10

Lehman College

The Lovinger Theater

250 Bedford Park Blvd W, New York, NY 10468

Friday, June 6

Fundraiser Dance in Union Hall 1199 in Manhattan, 7pm

$20 cover includes Puerto Rican dinner

Purchase your tickets on line here!

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/671498

Saturday, June 7

Street Festival on 116 Street/Lower East Side                            

Sunday, June 8 National Puerto Rican Parade, 11am

5th Ave and 44th Streets

For more information on NYC events: Ana Lopez, alopez@hostos.cuny.edu

WASHINGTON -  El presidente de Uruguay, José "Pepe"Mujica afirmó hoy en Washington D.C. que "Puerto Rico es una de las naciones de América latina" y reveló que ha intervenido a favor de la excarcelación del prisionero político puertorriqueño Oscar López Rivera, que cumple este mes 33 años en cárceles estadounidenses.

"Tengo una posición histórica: Puerto Rico es una de las naciones que compone América Latina, pero va a ser difícil que yo pueda convencer a Estados Unidos", indicó Mujica, en una conferencia de prensa al responder preguntas de El Nuevo Día.

Horas antes, Mujica se había entrevistado en la Casa Blanca con el presidente Barack Obama.

Aunque hizo claro que no fue un asunto que trató en su encuentro con el presidente Obama, Mujica, un ex guerrillero tupamaro, afirmó que  "algún día Estados Unidos comprenderá (cuál es) el camino menos traumático para esa relación".

Con respecto a López Rivera, sobre el cual había recibido una petición de intervención, Mujica sostuvo que "hicimos lo que teníamos que hacer". Siga leyendo...

The exhibition features prominent artists from throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, each of whom has contributed an original work of art on a 4"x6" postcard. 

All artwork is on sale for $50. Each piece of artwork is signed on the back and will be exhibited anonymously, to be sold on a first come, first served basis on May 24th. Once a work is purchased, the artist's identity will be revealed to the buyer. 

* Exhibition Preview on Wednesday June 4th, 7-9pm. Sneak preview of the exhibition prior to the public viewing. Tickets $20. 

* Exhibition Opening June 5th, 7-9pm - Doors open promptly at 7pm, artwork will be sold on a first come, first served basis. 

Both events are at

Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center

1680 Lexington Ave. NYC

Featuring Works By (partial listing):

Manuel Acevedo  *  ADÁL Maldonado

Elia Alba * Luis Carle * Marcos Dimas 

Maria Dominguez * Emory Douglas

Elizam Escobar * Zachary Fabri * Teo Freytes 

Scherezade García * Rico Gatson 

Marina Gutiérrez * Charles Juhasz Alvarado 

Yasmin Hernández * Miguel Luciano

Arnaldo Morales * Rubén Ortiz Torres

Pepón Osorio * Antonio Martorell

Ana Rosa Rivera * Freddy Rodríguez

Rodríguez Calero * Adrián "Viajero" Román 

Juan Sánchez * Julio Suárez

John Pitman Weber * Josue Pellot

Jane Norling * Nitza Tufiño

Doug Minkler * Poli Marichal

Brenda Torres Figueroa and many more.  

lunes 28 de abril de 2014

Sr. Oscar López Rivera

87651-024

FCI Terre Haute

POB 33

Terre Haute, IN 47808

Estimado compañero,

Saludos de la nueva junta directiva del Desfile Puertorriqueño Nacional de Nueva York. Este próximo junio se cumplen 57 años desde que se organizo el primer desfile con el objetivo de celebrar nuestra cultura y nuestra historia y destacar los logros de nuestro pueblo dondequiera que se encuentre, ya sea en nuestra querida isla o en los tantos exilios en los que hemos echado raíces.

  Este año el desfile se llevará a cabo el domingo 8 de junio, en la Quinta Avenida de Manhattan, como es la tradición, y el tema del desfile será la gran poeta y activista Julia de Burgos y la 65 Infantería reconocidos como Los Borinqueneers. La intención del desfile este año es celebrar y resaltar los alcances de nuestros artistas, activistas trabajadores de la cultura y educadores y destacar los esfuerzos de nuestros compatriotas que luchan incansablemente por los derechos de nuestro pueblo.

  Por la presente, a nombre de la directiva del desfile y de todos los Boricuas que vivimos en la diáspora, quisiéramos darte un reconocimiento como Patriota Puertorriqueño del Desfile Nacional Puertorriqueño en Nueva York, en junio 8 del año 2014.

Aunque tu presencia física no será posible, nos llenará de orgullo y alegría el saber que serás parte de nuestros esfuerzos para restituir el verdadero sentido de esta importante celebración de nuestro pueblo puertorriqueño. Es nuestro deseo que el 8 de junio todos los grupos que apoyan los derechos humanos y la justicia participen en el desfile para que se oiga en voz alta nuestro llamado a tu libertad. 

Un fuerte abrazo Boricua,

Orlando Plaza

Ululy Rafael Martínez

Delivers Call-to-Action to End the Puerto Rican Political Prisoner's Incarceration of Nearly 33 Years

April 29, 2014, New York City - In the spirit of its 2014 theme, "Un Pueblo, Muchas Voces"/"One People, Many Voices", the National Puerto Rican Day Parade (NPRDP) has officially called for the release of long-time political prisoner, Oscar López Rivera. Arrested in 1981, López Rivera was convicted of seditious conspiracy related to his actions in the struggle for the independence of Puerto Rico. A long-time, vocal champion for Puerto Rican independence, López Rivera received a 70-year prison sentence, having spent more than 12 years in prisons that rank highest in punitive control, under torturous conditions of isolation and sensory deprivation. With this year's celebration, the Parade honors López Rivera to recognize his unique voice and rally support from the Puerto Rican and Latino communities, as well as the nearly 2.5 million parade-goers that line the streets of New York City's Fifth Avenue, to sign a petition for the release of López Rivera.

Puerto Ricans of all ideological and political backgrounds support the release of López Rivera since his sentence is widely viewed as not being commensurate with his actions. In fact, the 14 other compatriots that were imprisoned around the same time as López Rivera were released in 1999 when President Bill Clinton authorized their release, determining that their sentences were disproportionate with their actions. Continue reading here.

Apoyo por la excarcelacion de Oscar López Rivera del Gobernador de Puerto Rico

Así se lo contó a su hija Clarisa López Ramos y a su nieta Karina Valentín López en unas emotivas cartas que les envío a ambas desde la cárcel de Terre Haute, en Indiana. Es por eso que el colectivo 32 x Oscar se ha dado a la tarea de organizar una actividad que han bautizado Al mar x Oscar que será el domingo, 25 de mayo.

Durante esta actividad, que es una de las iniciativas que se ha creado para pedir la excarcelación de López Rivera, se realizará un gran desfile marino con yolas de pescadores, kayaks y "paddleboards" que saldrá del muelle 8 en Bahía Urbana, en San Juan, a la 1:00 p.m. y navegará por las aguas de la bahía de la ciudad capital hasta llegar a la Puerta de San Juan. Allí desembarcará el personaje de Oscar, creado por el artista Pedro Adorno, para partir en una comparsa hasta El Morro. En esa emblemática instalación, específicamente frente a la Escuela de Artes Plásticas, habrá una tarima donde se realizará un acto artístico que contará con figuras como Andy Montañez, Chucho Avellanet y el cuatrista Christian Nieves y su grupo de trovadores, entre otros. También dirán presente artistas plásticos y teatreros como Nick Quijano, Rafael Trelles, Antonio Martorell y Rosa Luisa Márquez. Siga leyendo...

1.NY Coordinator to Free Oscar López Rivera 

National Boricua Human Rights Network 

Comite de Derecho Humanos de Puerto Rico 

2.El Maestro, Inc

3.La Fundación Andres Figueroa

4.33 Mujeres NYC X Oscar 

5.Partido Nacionalista Puertorriqueño de NYC

6.33 Estudiantes X Oscar

7.Puerto Rican Student Organization-Hostos Community College and Lehman College

8.Hip Hop Theory-33 Artistas de hiphop X Oscar

9.Revolutionary Student for Change

10.33 Pleneros X Oscar

11.CAMARADA

12.33 hombres XOscar 

13.Comité de Puerto Rico en la ONU

14.Resistance in Brooklyn (Solidarity groups) 

15.33 deportistas X Oscar 

16.El Coqui Boxing Center 

17.Corsi House Senior Citizen Center

18.Union 1199

19.32BJ-Union

20.Jericho

21.Pro-Libertad 

22.Centro Clemente Soto Velez

23.Iglesia Lutherana de Brooklyn

24.El Puente Centro de Williamsburg, Bklyn

25.   Socialist Workers Party