New York Young Lords History
Highlights (1969 - 1976)

1969 YLO

JUN 7, 1969 -- Black Panther Party newspaper announces Rainbow Coalition comprised of the Panthers, Chicago Young Lords, Brown Berets and Young Patriots. JUL 22, 1969 -- YLO group and Sociedad de Albizu Campos join student and community activists. Chicago YLO approves New York chapter. SUMMER 1969 -- East Harlem Garbage Offensive. OCT 1969 - Original Program and Platform of the New York YLO written. NY Chapter begins door-to-door lead poisoning detection tests. Health Revolutionaray Unity Movement (HRUM) affiliates with YLO and helps draft 10-Point Health Program. DEC 7, 1969 -- Thirteen Young Lords (including five women) are beaten and arrested inside First Spanish Methodist Church in East Harlem after making request to use space for breakfast program. DEC 28, 1969 - Young Lords take over the Church, name it the People's Church, and begin an 11-day occupation. They establish free breakfast and clothing programs, health services, a day-care center, a liberation school, community dinners, poetry and films. Thousands of supporters attend activities - it was a defining moment.

1970 YLO/YLP

JAN 8, 1970 -- Police arrest 106 Young Lords and supporters at People's Church. MAR - MAY 1970 -- Young Lords conduct door-to-door TB testing in the Bronx and El Barrio of more than 800 people; a third test postive. APR 1970 -- Bronx Branch and Information Center opened on Longwood Avenue. MAY 1970 -- Chicago and New York Young Lords split. New York YLO changes name to Young Lords Party and begins to publish PALANTE, a bilingual newspaper. JUN 1970 -- Denise Oliver, first women, is promoted to Central Committee. JUN 17, 1970 -- YLP liberates a TB x-ray truck and brings it into community. More than 770 people are tested in three days.

JUL 28, 1970 -- YLP takes over Lincoln Hospital for about 12 hours and demands door-to-door preventive health services, maternal and child care, drug addition care, senior citizens' services, grievance table, and increased minimum wage for hospital workers.

SEPTEMBER 1970 -- Felipe Luciano, Chairman of Young Lords Party, is demoted from Central Committee to position of cadre. He resigns and leaves YLP after about 1 year in leadership. SEPT 4-7, 1970 -- YLP members join more than 6,000 activists at the People's Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia organized by the Black Panther Party. SEPT 23, 1970 -- YLP and Puerto Rican Student Union organize first student conference to promote "Free Puerto Rico Now" committees on high school and college campuses. More than 1,000 students participate. OCT 1970 -- Young Lords organize a demonstration to United Nations calling for an end to police brutality, release of the Nationalist Party political prisoners in prison since the 1950s, and independence of Puerto Rico. More than 10,000 people march from El Barrio to the UN. Continue to 1970 - 1972