By Kaity Modesto
As a proud native from Washington Heights, I can be a little cocky. Anytime I have to commute to the east side or go downtown on the weekends, I overthink it. It’s a mission to get around the city, especially by public transportation. However, a few weeks ago, I was invited to attend the walking tour of Mapping Resistance: The Young Lords in El Barrio. I was curious to learn more about El Barrio and the Young Lords. So I decided to Uber to avoid the trains and hassle (not to mention the fact that I was running late—typical Dominican-ish). I kept thinking “l hope the walking tour hasn’t started yet” but I should have known that when you start a walking tour with wine, cheese, crackers, and Latinos in the mix—time is always on our side! Fortunately, I made it in time to have a glass of Rosé and eat some cheese before the tour began.
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Our tour guide and mastermind behind the project Miguel Luciano took us back in time; he highlighted several photographs taken by Hiram Maristany, a member of the Young Lords. The Young Lords was an activist group during the late 1960-1970s, who fought for the liberation of all oppressed people with a focus on issues of health, food, housing, and education. Many of Maristanys’ photographs stood out to me but one of my favorites was the Garbage Offensive, 1969 located on 3rd Avenue and 111 street. They say “a picture is worth a thousand words” well this certainly rings true for this image.
The photograph demonstrates the power of community activism. At the time, the Department of Sanitation would not come Uptown to clean up the garbage. The Young Lords along with residents from the neighborhood borrowed brooms from the Sanitation Department and swept the garbage on to the middle of the street creating a roadblock.
To top it all off and prevent motorists from removing the garbage, they set the garbage on fire forcing the police and fire department to intervene. Their mission was successful because the press documented the aftermath and they held city officials and agencies accountable for their lack of involvement.
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The walking tour of Mapping Resistance: The Young Lords in El Bario reminded me that we have so much to learn about our history and the impact communities of color have had Uptown. The stories of the Young Lords inspire us to continue to fight for our rights and our community.
Shoutout to Miguel for putting together this dope exhibit! The exhibition has been extended until Oct.15, 2019. Miguel is hosting another walking tour this Saturday, Oct. 12 from 2:00-3:30 PM register today as space is limited. I promise you it is well worth the trip and don’t forget to tell him who sent you!
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