4 thoughts on “Richie Perez: What he fought for and stood for — A tribute.”
NY Times Obituary on Richie Perez
Richard Perez Is Dead at 59; Advocate for Minority Rights
By COREY KILGANNON
The New York Times (March 29, 2004)
Section B; Page 7; Column 1; Metropolitan Desk
Richard Perez, a South Bronx teacher who became a well-known advocate for human rights and social justice for Hispanics and other minorities, died Saturday in Manhattan. He was 59.
Mr. Perez died of prostate cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, said his wife, Martha Laureano-Perez.
Mr. Perez, widely known as Richie, became a community activist in 1969 when he joined the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican rights group. The group furthered its cause through radical, nonviolent means, like commandeering a city medical vehicle to perform tuberculosis tests in poor neighborhoods, taking over an East Harlem church to create a day care center and taking over part of a South Bronx hospital to set up a drug rehabilitation program and call for local health care improvement.
As director of community development at the Community Service Society, a nonprofit group that serves the poor, during the 1980’s until his death, Mr. Perez organized campaigns against racially motivated violence and pushed for voter registration. He often spoke publicly about the marginalization of minorities.
Mr. Perez also organized demonstrations calling for prosecutions in police brutality cases, including the case of Anthony Baez, a Bronx man who died after being put in a choke hold by a city police officer in 1994. Mr. Perez helped found People’s Justice 2000, a coalition of groups that demonstrated for the prosecution of officers after the precinct assault on Abner Louima and the shooting death of Amadou Diallo.
Mr. Perez was an outspoken critic of racial profiling by the New York City Police Department and was a lead plaintiff in a 1999 lawsuit against the city aimed at abolishing stop-and-frisk searches by the department’s Street Crime Unit.
Mr. Perez was born and raised in the South Bronx and attended public schools and the City University of New York in Harlem.
While teaching at James Monroe High School in the Bronx in the late 1960’s, he began calling for community control of schools, and in 1969 joined the Young Lords, becoming its deputy minister of information and also editing its weekly newspaper, Palante. In the early 1980’s, Mr. Perez helped found the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights and became its national coordinator.
In addition to his wife, Ms. Laureano-Perez, Mr. Perez is survived by his son, Danny Laureano, 25, and his mother, Ann Perez.
A most magnificent Puerto Rican Warriors
Querido Gente:
Another of our most magnificent Puerto Rican Warriors has passed on.
Richie Perez has been and continues to be an incredible inspiration and role model for me. I have had the honor of working with him on a number of occasions and seen him in action many times over. His speeches were powerfully inspiring and conscious raising. Richie was a great communicator and activist. His human, social and political convictions, unrelenting will to wage struggle as well as his principal and standup (vertical) character are examples I try so hard to follow and maintain.
Richie Perez will be terribly missed. Our hero has passed on but this very special Young Lord Warrior will forever be our shining Star of David embedded in our hearts, spirits and on every Puerto Rican Flag.
Let us remember and celebrate his legacy.
Juan Sanchez
Richie
I was deeply saddened to hear about Richie Perez’s passing. My condolences
to his family, Panama, and everyone in the community. Richie was always generous with his vast knowledge about – and experience in) the history on our movement – during my early days at WBAI Radio. I will always appreciate his selfessness and determination.
I viewed Rosie Perez’ film a couple of weeks ago. As the credits rolled, I noted the in memorium to Richie Perez. Thus I belatedly learned of his passing, and belatedly offer this note.
I was a student at Monroe H.S. while Richie was a teacher. He helped steer and focus the anger and involvement of many students to the politics of this country, and the Vietnam war in particular. He selflessly offered his time, his counsel, his apartment (a group of us would meet there,) and, his patience.
He was principled, but not dogmatic; learned, but not pedantic. A gentile, sweet, passionate in his views and his positions. But that passion was communicated, and thus not lost, without flames and rage.
NY Times Obituary on Richie Perez
Richard Perez Is Dead at 59; Advocate for Minority Rights
By COREY KILGANNON
The New York Times (March 29, 2004)
Section B; Page 7; Column 1; Metropolitan Desk
Richard Perez, a South Bronx teacher who became a well-known advocate for human rights and social justice for Hispanics and other minorities, died Saturday in Manhattan. He was 59.
Mr. Perez died of prostate cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, said his wife, Martha Laureano-Perez.
Mr. Perez, widely known as Richie, became a community activist in 1969 when he joined the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican rights group. The group furthered its cause through radical, nonviolent means, like commandeering a city medical vehicle to perform tuberculosis tests in poor neighborhoods, taking over an East Harlem church to create a day care center and taking over part of a South Bronx hospital to set up a drug rehabilitation program and call for local health care improvement.
As director of community development at the Community Service Society, a nonprofit group that serves the poor, during the 1980’s until his death, Mr. Perez organized campaigns against racially motivated violence and pushed for voter registration. He often spoke publicly about the marginalization of minorities.
Mr. Perez also organized demonstrations calling for prosecutions in police brutality cases, including the case of Anthony Baez, a Bronx man who died after being put in a choke hold by a city police officer in 1994. Mr. Perez helped found People’s Justice 2000, a coalition of groups that demonstrated for the prosecution of officers after the precinct assault on Abner Louima and the shooting death of Amadou Diallo.
Mr. Perez was an outspoken critic of racial profiling by the New York City Police Department and was a lead plaintiff in a 1999 lawsuit against the city aimed at abolishing stop-and-frisk searches by the department’s Street Crime Unit.
Mr. Perez was born and raised in the South Bronx and attended public schools and the City University of New York in Harlem.
While teaching at James Monroe High School in the Bronx in the late 1960’s, he began calling for community control of schools, and in 1969 joined the Young Lords, becoming its deputy minister of information and also editing its weekly newspaper, Palante. In the early 1980’s, Mr. Perez helped found the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights and became its national coordinator.
In addition to his wife, Ms. Laureano-Perez, Mr. Perez is survived by his son, Danny Laureano, 25, and his mother, Ann Perez.
A most magnificent Puerto Rican Warriors
Querido Gente:
Another of our most magnificent Puerto Rican Warriors has passed on.
Richie Perez has been and continues to be an incredible inspiration and role model for me. I have had the honor of working with him on a number of occasions and seen him in action many times over. His speeches were powerfully inspiring and conscious raising. Richie was a great communicator and activist. His human, social and political convictions, unrelenting will to wage struggle as well as his principal and standup (vertical) character are examples I try so hard to follow and maintain.
Richie Perez will be terribly missed. Our hero has passed on but this very special Young Lord Warrior will forever be our shining Star of David embedded in our hearts, spirits and on every Puerto Rican Flag.
Let us remember and celebrate his legacy.
Juan Sanchez
Richie
I was deeply saddened to hear about Richie Perez’s passing. My condolences
to his family, Panama, and everyone in the community. Richie was always generous with his vast knowledge about – and experience in) the history on our movement – during my early days at WBAI Radio. I will always appreciate his selfessness and determination.
I viewed Rosie Perez’ film a couple of weeks ago. As the credits rolled, I noted the in memorium to Richie Perez. Thus I belatedly learned of his passing, and belatedly offer this note.
I was a student at Monroe H.S. while Richie was a teacher. He helped steer and focus the anger and involvement of many students to the politics of this country, and the Vietnam war in particular. He selflessly offered his time, his counsel, his apartment (a group of us would meet there,) and, his patience.
He was principled, but not dogmatic; learned, but not pedantic. A gentile, sweet, passionate in his views and his positions. But that passion was communicated, and thus not lost, without flames and rage.
I was saddened to hear of his passing.