Young lords black panthers

Pepe y Flora introduced “Que Bonita Bandera” to the Young Lords during what is perhaps the activists’ most iconic action.

In the December of 1969, the Lords showed up to the First Spanish Methodist Church in East Harlem and asked the reverend, a conservative Cuban exile, for permission to use the church space to deliver social services to the neighborhood.

Somebody called the police, who beat up and arrested 13 of the Young Lords.

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Undeterred, the Young Lords returned a few weeks later and took over the church by force. They kicked out the reverend, barricaded and chained the doors, and declared it “The People’s Church” – a space to serve the people of El Barrio.

For 11 days, the Young Lords occupied the church as police dug in outside, waiting for orders to evict them. During the day, the Lords used the church as a base to run a breakfast program for kids, clothing drive and daycare center.

In the evenings, they