Women in the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican nationalist group founded in the United States in 1969, advocated for racial and gender equality and challenged patriarchy in the organization from 1969-1976.
[1] Women members wrote articles in the Palante newspaper critiquing sexist and patriarchal structures and demanded a series of reproductive rights that included access to abortion and an end to forced sterilization.
Iris Morales, a former Young Lord and grassroots organizer, has worked to preserve the legacy of women in the party today.
[8] In 1994, she directed a documentary ¡Palante, Siempre Palante!, chronicling the life of the Young Lords from its inception in 1969 to its fragmentation and ultimate demise in 1976.
[9] Her role in documenting the history of the party and centering women throughout her work highlights another instance of female leadership in the Puerto Rican nationalist organization to this day.
Men relegated women to peripheral roles in leadership and subjected them to stereotypical assignments like secretary work.
For example, Felipe Luciano was demoted from his position as Central Committee chairman and organization spokesperson for violating the rules of discipline.
Denise Oliver-Vélez helped construct the document and theorized the intersection of race and class in the lives of women of color.
[7] Women in the Young Lords were subject to harsh criticism and backlash by the male-dominated Central Committee as well as men in their communities who saw their involvement as an affront to culture and established gender norms.
[15] In 1970, women started making demands, occupying space in group meetings and challenging male authority on an institutional level.