Commemoration of the Young Lords Party Takeover of the People’s Church

Greetings in the name of justice, truth, and liberation!

We ask those who share the vision and mission of the People’s Church to support and join our efforts to preserve the legacy of this important community institution.

Fifty-five years ago, on December 7th, 1969, the Young Lords went to First Spanish United Methodist Church (FSUMC) to ask for space to serve the community. The NYPD was in the back of the church and a fight ensued while the organist played “Onward Christian Soldiers.” Chairman Felipe Luciano suffered a broken arm and 13 stitches, four other Young Lords were also hospitalized, and thirteen were arrested. Three weeks later, on December 28, they took over the church in order to provide a free breakfast for the children of East Harlem. We see the teachings of Jesus in their work.

Now, as we commemorate the 55th anniversary of these events, we face brutal repression at home, even while our tax dollars pay for the same abroad. Many churches, including the current Methodist-appointed leadership of FSUMC, preach a liberal rhetoric while practicing the top-down methods of Empire. In the past ten months, we have lost eight members of our Leadership Team, six of whom are Puerto Rican and four of whom are El Barrio residents. Our erasure is near complete.

Jesus was a healer and prophet who loved the homeless, the hungry, and all those at the bottom of the social ladder. Your signature will help demonstrate community support for a church that sides with the people, rejects all forms of oppression, and embraces revolutionary love and human dignity.

We need everyone to join us who embraces the Young Lords’ legacy. Please, help us honor our vision and to help us keep this historic space available for the sacred work of spiritual renewal, holistic healing, and social transformation. The future of the People’s Church is at stake.

For more information, contact the Committee to Save the People’s Church by email at: [email protected] or by phone at: (917) 524-9979.

Pa’lante!

The Committee to Save the People’s Church