Fifty Years of Perseverance & Persistence
The PRCC's 50th Anniversary
The Puerto Rican Cultural Center, founded in 1972, is a 50 year+ old organization that has been foundational to the creation of Paseo Boricua, as it is known, the economic, political, and cultural capitol of the Puerto Rican community in the Midwest. It encapsulates the historical efforts of the same to resist gentrification through efforts such as the establishment of Puerto Rico Town. As part of Chicago's Puerto Rican Agenda, it contributed to organizing relief efforts after Hurricanes Irma and Maria that impacted over 50 towns in Puertto Rico.
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1973
2023
Fifty Years of Perseverance & Persistence
1970s
The 1970s were marked by the founding of the Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School in 1972 and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in 1973, the struggle of Puerto Ricans, in the diaspora and on the island, against sterilization, and police brutality, which sparked the 1977 Humboldt Park riot. It also saw the beginning of the anti-mining campaign in the US, the Madison Square Garden rally in support of Puerto Rican independence— over 20,000 participated— the release of the Puerto Rican Nationalists, the first Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade, as well as the construction of Roberto Clemente High School.
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1973
2023
Fifty Years of Perseverance & Persistence
1980s
The 1980s began by increasing US government repression of the independence movement, the U.S. Navy’s bombardment & occupation of Vieques, the disproportionate rise of AIDS/HIV within our community, the 1980, 1981, 1983, and 1985 arrests of Puerto Ricans for struggling for Puerto Rican independence, grand jury witch hunts, and the torture of Control Unit Prisons. The PRCC struggled and organized programs such as Vida/SIDA (Life/AIDS program), and Consuelo Lee Corretjer culturally informed Childcare.
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1973
2023
Fifty Years of Perseverance & Persistence
1990s
The 1990s saw a rise in community organizing in response to the ongoing threat of gentrification. In 1991, the oldest Puerto Rican Mural in Chicago, "La Crucifixción de Don Pedro” on the corner of Artesian and North Avenue, was restored. In 1993 The Casita de Don Pedro y Doña Lolita was built to immortalize the Puerto Rican presence and persistence in Humboldt Park, the Youth Summit was organized at Clemente High School, and on January 6, 1995 (El Dia de los Reyes), the Flags of Steel were erected. This decade also saw the explosion of the struggle for educational reform at Roberto Clemente High School, the creation of one of the U.S.’ largest annual ethnic festivals, “Fiesta Boricua,” and, after decades of struggle, we accomplished the release of 14 Puerto Rican political prisoners.
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1973
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Fifty Years of Perseverance & Persistence
2000s
The 2000s marked a significant expansion of community organizing by the Puerto Rican Cultural Center to tackle gentrification through its Humboldt Park No Se Vende campaign, Batey Urbano program- youth art/violence prevention, and public health programmimg, through the creatino of the Community of Wellness Initiative, and 72 Blocks Diabetes Initiative. This decade also saw an expansion of community educational initiatives with the Community as Intellectual Space annual conferences, the 2008 Juan Antonio Corretjer Centennial, and the re-opening of the Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School on Paseo Boricua.
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1973
2023
Fifty Years of Perseverance & Persistence
2010s
The PRCC continued public art programs like the Barrio Arts, Culture, and Community Academy (BACCA) and projects such as "This is Our Humboldt Park" Photography Exhibit, and continuation of its annual events, some into their 3rd and 4th decades. This decade also welcomed the release of Puerto Rican political prisoner Carlos Alberto Torres, after serving 30 years and a major escalation of the campaign to free Oscar López Rivera, led by the National Boricua Human Rights Network in the US and the Puerto Rico Human Rights campaign in Puerto Rico, that led to his release in May 2017. Also in September 2017, in response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago loaded the first cargo plane for San Juan, underwritten by United Airlines, with $70,000 worth of emergency supplies. Closing out this decade, the PRCC participated in the demand the Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosello resign, joining hundreds of organizations in the US and Puerto Rico.
under construction
1973
2023
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