Code Switch The Young Lords' legacy of fighting for Puerto Rico from the mainland
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Feb 25, 2026 Iris Morales, Puerto Rican activist, filmmaker and educator who led Young Lords education efforts. She recalls archival moments, the group's evolution from gangs to political organizing, bilingual organizing and the Palante newspaper. She reflects on diaspora identity, direct-action campaigns like sanitation protests, tensions over island ties, and the movement's lasting cultural and political legacy.
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A Woman Insisted The Camera Include Women
- Iris Morales appears in 1969 footage teaching Puerto Rican women's history inside a church, a moment saved because a woman insisted on female representation.
- Beverly insisted on a woman on camera, so Edis was called to deliver the history lesson on figures like Lolita Lebrón.
How The Young Lords Built Power In The Diaspora
- The Young Lords transformed from a street gang into a militant community organization blending social programs and revolutionary politics.
- From 1969–1971 they ran bilingual media, breakfast programs, hospital occupations, and sanitation offensives across multiple US cities.
They Turned Uncollected Trash Into Direct Action
- The 'garbage offensive' began after the city refused to provide brooms, so the Young Lords swept and then blocked traffic with uncollected garbage.
- Residents joined, sometimes burning piles, forcing mayoral candidates to address sanitation neglect.