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The Church Offensive was a building occupation organized by the New York
Young Lords The Young Lords, also known as the Young Lords Organization (YLO), were a left-wing political organization that originally developed from a Chicago street gang. With major branches in Chicago and New York City, they were known for their direct act ...
in
East Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, or , is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the eas ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. During the Church Offensive, the Young Lords occupied the First Spanish United
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
Church (FSUMC) for 11 days, from December 28, 1969, to January 7, 1970, in protest of the church's refusal to host the Young Lords' free breakfast program. During the occupation, the Young Lords implemented various
community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community contributing to a noble cause. In many cases, people doing community service are compensated in other ways, such as gettin ...
programs, including free breakfasts and health clinics, "liberation school" classes, and dinners for Puerto Rican women. Despite a court order to vacate the church, the Young Lords remained, arguing they had not disrupted services and were challenging the church's inaction. As a result, they were held in
contempt of court Contempt of court, often referred to simply as "contempt", is the crime of being disobedient to or disrespectful toward a court of law and its officers in the form of behavior that opposes or defies the authority, justice, and dignity of the co ...
. The occupation ended when police forcibly entered the church, peacefully arresting 105 Young Lords members and supporters. The Young Lords continued to pressure the FSUMC to support their breakfast program, but their requests were denied. Despite this, due to media coverage and endorsements from prominent figures, the Church Offensive led to an increase in community support and membership for the Young Lords. Some historians argue that the Church Offensive revitalized the
Puerto Rican independence movement Throughout the history of Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans, its inhabitants have initiated several movements to gain independence for the Geography of Puerto Rico, island, first from the Spanish Empire until 1898 and since then from the United States. ...
in New York and fostered discussions about gender roles within the growing Young Lords organization. Others claim that the Church Offensive represented a challenge to the "social imaginary" by questioning prevailing western concepts of peoplehood and disrupting the perceived link between coloniality and modernity.


History


Background

The
Young Lords The Young Lords, also known as the Young Lords Organization (YLO), were a left-wing political organization that originally developed from a Chicago street gang. With major branches in Chicago and New York City, they were known for their direct act ...
, originally a Puerto Rican
street gang A gang is a social group, group or secret society, society of associates, friends, or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over Wiktionary:territory#Noun, territory in a ...
operating in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, Illinois, shifted to become a
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
organization during the 1960s. The
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
chapter of the Young Lords—formed from the merger of the
Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Historically, it w ...
Young Lords; the Photography Workshop, an activist-oriented arts organization; and the , a reading group based at the
State University of New York at Old Westbury The State University of New York at Old Westbury (SUNY at Old Westbury) is a public university in Old Westbury, New York, with portions in the neighboring town of Jericho, New York. It enrolls just over 5,000 students. History The State Unive ...
—was established on July 26, 1969. The New York Young Lords primarily organized in
East Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, or , is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the eas ...
, and offered various
community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community contributing to a noble cause. In many cases, people doing community service are compensated in other ways, such as gettin ...
programs to the community, including a free breakfast program for children. In October 1969, the Young Lords' free breakfast program was expelled from its location at Emmaus House, an
Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...
social housing community, due to police reports claiming that the Young Lords were affiliated with local gangs. They subsequently requested space from the First Spanish United
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
Church (FSUMC), which is located in the center of East Harlem, but were dismissed by the head pastor, Humberto Carrazana, and denied by the church board. Members of the Young Lords began regularly attending church services, and tensions between the Young Lords and the church's leader escalated.


Escalation

During the informal "Loyalty Sunday" service on December 7, when congregants traditionally share testimonies and make yearly financial pledges, Luciano attempted to give a speech to the congregation outlining the Young Lords' request for space. Carrazana motioned for the church's organist to play, causing a member of the Young Lords to move to unplug the organ. An undercover police officer, Victor Badilla, attempted to deescalate the situation by offering the Young Lords speaking time if they vacated the pulpit, but Carrazana shouted that Luciano "should not be allowed to speak", causing Badilla to call in reinforcements. At the same time, another police officer stepped forward, threatening the Young Lords with arrest. This led to a violent altercation between the Young Lords and the police, with five Young Lords and three or four police officers sustaining injuries. 13 or 14 members of the Young Lords were arrested, including Luciano. After officials from other churches condemned the FSUMC's decision to involve police, Carrazana invited the Young Lords to attend service again on December 14. Roughly 500 individuals, primarily Young Lords supporters, attended the service, with Carrazana inviting a Young Lords delegation to meet with him afterwards. However, some congregants in attendance at the meeting disparaged Puerto Ricans in the community as indolent and wasteful, and the meeting ultimately failed to yield results. A group of 150, including both members of the Young Lords and supporters, attended service once again on December 21. After the service, Luciano spoke outside the church, expressing anger at the congregants of the church for "turn ngtheir backs on young people".


Occupation

On December 28, the Young Lords led a silent march on the FSUMC. After sitting quietly for the duration of the service, the Young Lords stood up and nailed the doors of the church shut. Congregants who wanted to leave were released after an hour, and Carrazana told the Young Lords that there would be no police action. The Young Lords demands included space for the free breakfast program, a daycare, and a "liberation school", where children would be taught "black and Puerto Rican history". That afternoon, Young Lords spokesman Pablo Guzmán held a press conference outside the church condemning its abandonment of Christian values. The Young Lords occupied the building for 11 days, renaming it the "People's Church". The occupation drew the attention of mayor
John Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, the mayor of New York City, and a candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regu ...
, who sent a team of negotiators to the scene. One of the negotiators, a Puerto Rican man named Arnie Segarra, joined the occupiers. During the occupation, the Young Lords began implementing their free breakfast program, feeding "hundreds" of children according to a report by the radio station KPFA in
Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...
. They also established a health clinic, began teaching "liberation school" classes during evenings, and provided dinners for Puerto Rican women. Various celebrities visited the occupied church, including
Budd Schulberg Budd Schulberg (born Seymour Wilson Schulberg; March 27, 1914 – August 5, 2009) was an American screenwriter, television producer, novelist and sports writer. He was known for his novels '' What Makes Sammy Run?'' (1941) and ''The Harder They ...
,
Donald Sutherland Donald McNichol Sutherland (17 July 1935 – 20 June 2024) was a Canadian actor. With a career spanning six decades, he received List of awards and nominations received by Donald Sutherland, numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award ...
,
Elia Kazan Elias Kazantzoglou (, ; September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003), known as Elia Kazan ( ), was a Greek-American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most honored and inf ...
,
Gloria Steinem Gloria Marie Steinem ( ; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social movement, social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ...
,
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress and activist. Recognized as a film icon, Jane Fonda filmography, Fonda's work spans several genres and over six decades of film and television. She is the recipient of List of a ...
,
Joe Bataan Bataan Nitollano, also known as Joe Bataan (born 5 November 1942) is a Filipino and American Latin soul singer, songwriter and musician best known world-wide and in the Hispanic and Latino music scene as the "King of Latin Soul". Early life Bat ...
,
Joe Cuba Gilberto Miguel Calderón (April 22, 1931 – February 15, 2009), known professionally as Joe Cuba, was an American conga drummer of Puerto Rican descent widely regarded as the "Father of Latin Boogaloo". Early years Gilberto Miguel Calderón ...
, José Torres, and
Ray Barretto Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Lati ...
. On December 30, the
New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...
ordered the Young Lords to vacate the church. The Young Lords did not comply, and were held in
contempt of court Contempt of court, often referred to simply as "contempt", is the crime of being disobedient to or disrespectful toward a court of law and its officers in the form of behavior that opposes or defies the authority, justice, and dignity of the co ...
, with an official
affidavit An ( ; Medieval Latin for "he has declared under oath") is a written statement voluntarily made by an ''affiant'' or ''deposition (law), deponent'' under an oath or affirmation which is administered by a person who is authorized to do so by la ...
being served on January 5. The Young Lords countered with an affidavit by asserting they had not disrupted services and were being scapegoated for challenging the church's failure to serve the community, citing Methodist doctrine. Also on January 5, a group of
Columbia Theological Seminary Columbia Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Decatur, Georgia. It is one of ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). History Columbia Theological Seminary was founded in 1828 in Lexington, Geor ...
students, in collaboration with Methodist
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
Lloyd Christ Wicke, issued a statement calling for the dismissal of charges against the arrested Young Lords members and for the FSUMC to accommodate the Young Lords' demands. On the morning of January 7, after police broke into the church, 105 Young Lords and supporters were ejected from the church and peacefully arrested. They were transported to the New York Supreme Court, where they were assigned a hearing date and subsequently discharged.


Aftermath

In the immediate wake of the arrests, the Young Lords attended service at the FSUMC again, maintaining pressure on Carrazana to support their free breakfast program. Carrazana declined, but did drop charges against the Young Lords and agreed to establish a daycare center and a drug rehabilitation clinic, though these initiatives were ultimately not implemented. Soon after, governor
Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...
requested $2.5 million for his own breakfast program, which would cover 35,000 children in New York City. The program was approved for the 1972-1973 fiscal year and supplemented by federal funds in May 1972. After the Church Offensive, the Young Lords saw a significant increase in membership and community support. They also received extensive media coverage, with academic José Ramón Sánchez noting that the YLO was the focus of 40% of New York Times reporting on Puerto Ricans during and immediately after the event, and a third of such reporting in the following year. This media attention, coupled with endorsements from figures like Jane Fonda and
Sammy Davis Jr Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which tou ...
, amplified their message and influence within the Puerto Rican community, leading to the opening of a new
Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
branch of the Young Lords in April 1970. In the ensuing years, the Young Lords continued to engage in building occupations to address community needs. Buildings occupied included the
Metropolitan Hospital Center The Metropolitan Hospital Center (MHC, also referred to as Metropolitan Hospital) is a hospital in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City. It has been affiliated with New York Medical College since it was founded in 1875, representing ...
in East Harlem, which they occupied in December 1969, and Lincoln Hospital in the
South Bronx The South Bronx is an area of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Bronx, Concourse, Mott Haven, Bronx, Mott Haven, Melrose, B ...
, which they occupied first in July 1970 and again in November 1970.


Historiography

Various historical interpretations have been offered regarding the Church Offensive. Sánchez argues that by staging a dramatic "hostage" situation, the Young Lords captured the attention of the media, which generated public sympathy and support from influential third parties, including religious leaders. This attention, Sánchez claims, ultimately led to tangible political gains for the Puerto Rican community, as shown by
Herman Badillo Herman Badillo ( , ; August 21, 1929 – December 3, 2014) was an American lawyer and politician who served as borough president of The Bronx and United States Representative, and ran for Mayor of New York City. He was the first Puerto Rican e ...
's successful congressional run after his involvement as a mediator during the occupation. Building on observations by social scientist Michael Calvin McGee, academic Darrel Wanzer-Serrano argues that the Church Offensive challenged the "social imaginary" as originally envisioned by philosopher Charles Taylor. In Taylor's work, the "social imaginary" refers to the way ordinary people imagine their social existence, including how they relate to others, their shared expectations, and the "normative notions and images that underlie these expectations". Wanzer-Serrano argues that the Church Offensive shifted the social imaginary of "the people", challenging the intellectual hegemony of western notions of peoplehood and "delinking" notions of coloniality and modernity. Historian Johanna Fernández argues that the Church Offensive had a significant and wide-ranging impact beyond the immediate occupation. Fernández claims that the Young Lords' "mixture of militancy, good works, political education, and cultural resistance" had a significant impact across diverse city sectors, influencing Harlem street gangs and revitalizing the
Puerto Rican independence movement Throughout the history of Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans, its inhabitants have initiated several movements to gain independence for the Geography of Puerto Rico, island, first from the Spanish Empire until 1898 and since then from the United States. ...
in the city. Furthermore, Fernández also claims that the growth of the New York Young Lords following the occupation, particularly among women, created rhetorical space for discussions about gender roles within social movements, even as it created internal tensions and generated familial disapproval for some female members.


See also

* 1967 New York City riot


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * {{Template:Young Lords, state=collapsed 1969 in New York City 1970 in New York City Hispanic and Latino American culture in New York City Occupations (protest) in the United States Puerto Rican culture in New York City Young Lords