A LORD OF THE BARRIO

Since the Young Lords Party ended in 1975, I have gotten more inquiries about the organization than when we were active. And at the time, we were smokin’. Those requests have really snowballed. Most have been from people younger, to varying degrees, than myself (I’m 65). Or, contemporaries who want to tell friends: Yo, THIS is how those crazy motherfuckers did it!

It’s a bit pathetic to admit —- since I was the YLP Minister of Information —- but I have never written anything, really, about my experiences. Except for this piece in the Village Voice 21 March 1995.

I wrote for the Voice pretty steadily from the end of 1974 to ‘84, when I began working everyday in television. Just before I started at WCBS-TV and as I was finishing twelve years at two other NYC stations, I wrote this “look back.” Figuring correctly when the TV bosses saw this, they’d freak out. And they did. (Except the guy who hired me, Jerry Nachman. He thought any controversy, plus the cover on the newsstands, would be great “Why didn’t you splash ‘WCBS’ across it?”) I thought I had better get my thoughts on the Lords “in.” For, posterity. Or, something. Because I knew later management would try to get around that clause I had my agent put in the contract, allowing me to write.

Those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about…The Young Lords were a predominantly Puerto Rican radical group in the United States. The Chicago unit, which began before we did in New York, and was called the Young Lords Organization, started as a gang around 1960. In 1968, they radicalized, thanks to the insight of leader “Cha Cha” Jimenez.

Cha Cha

Meanwhile a small group of activists in New York in 1969 who were trying to get “a Puerto Rican thing” started heard about Chicago; sent four people to the Midwest in a Volkswagen (including yours truly); and bingo! A chapter in Nueva York! Which, after a split from Chicago in 1970, re-branded itself “the Young Lords Party.”

Our rise foreshadowed the current “Latino explosion.” Or, “near-explosion.” It still hasn’t quite detonated. It will. Perhaps that is one reason I am asked so much about the Lords.

Richard Goldstein, my first editor at the Voice, OK’d the idea and saw it through. Robert Christgau, who had done all my music pieces, agreed to edit. Christgau is a bitch. As tough a line editor as I’ve known. Richard, though, seemed to be having a ball. Somehow, he got the Voice to put the thing on the cover. With a title WAY different than two choices I had submitted. Richard also took advantage of the Voice’s recent use of color on the front page. MY LIFE AS A REVOLUTIONARY. In red.

“What do you think?” Richard asked, grinning. At first, I balked.

Then…well…

Shit, it stood out.

I had had two ideas for a title: “La Vida Pura” or “A Lord of the Barrio.” “Richard’s using them both,” Christgau said. “What?”

Hello, layout. This ran across the opening two pages:

Photos 1–2 Michael Abramson, Palante book

Photo 3 Fred McDarrah

In the article, I tried answering the questions I still get. Though in a more forthright way, hopefully humorous at times, than I ever could during the days of the Lords. You know. “Gotta be correct” (often, my sense of humor, and that of my colleagues in Information, ran afoul of some of our group’s doctrinaire types. May have had something to do with us saying we were “Groucho Marxists”).

But the piece was about getting to some serious points:

What was all that again? Why’d you have to fight police ALL the time? What pissed you off about things around you? What made you go back and dig into your parents’ record albums? Collect those recipes for pernil, arroz con gandules and picadillo? What was so important about having AN IDENTITY? Machismo, racism among Latinos, class differences — YOU HAD A GAY CAUCUS in 1970??

Yep. And this is my take:

The Minister of Information works the phones

YLP office Madison Avenue (btwn 111th - 112th Streets)

Photo Fred McDarrah

A scene from one day of “The Garbage Offensive” El Barrio Summer 1969

Photo Hiram Maristany

Note: When I wrote, I tallied a thousand members, that was the core. Plus a LOT of regular supporters. In the U.S. and Puerto Rico. People who could be counted on to show at demos. Sometimes leaflet or sell the paper. Or several affinity groups. In fairness, Juan Gonzalez always wanted to make it clear, we didn’t have one thousand core members in NY.

Because if we did, there would have been a Rican in City Hall already.