The way in which community health reform has been impacted by the Young Lord's Party will be discussed Thursday, April 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Winslow Auditorium of the department of epidemiology and public health EPH , 60 College St. A reception will follow the event, which is free and open to the public.
In addition to the discussion, the evening will feature a screening of "Palante, Siempre Palante!" loosely translated: "Moving Forward, Always Moving Forward!" , a documentary film chronicling the development and influence of the Young Lord's Party. The film title refers to a slogan often chanted by members and followers of the Young Lord's Party during the height of its visibility. Now defunct, the Young Lord's Party was most active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, having emerged in the midst of the civil and women's rights struggles and protests of American involvement in the Vietnam conflict. The party's core constituency consisted of members of Puerto Rican and Latino communities concerned about economic and social justice, says John Sanchez, a first-year EPH student and one of the organizers of the upcoming Yale event.
"From Chicago streets to the barrios of New York City and other urban centers," says Mr. Sanchez, "the Young Lords emerged to demand decent living conditions and better health care, and raised a militant voice for the empowerment of the Puerto Rican people in the United States. Their courageous activity is the epitome of community activism and reveals the strength and ability of communities to help themselves during the most difficult of times."
Mr. Sanchez says that "during their struggle to improve social conditions, the party encountered continual opposition from city government that still remains in the memory of many Latinos and has procured a distrust in government support for health care intervention." He notes that by demonstrating the link between the Young Lords and public health intervention, public health officials and medical providers will better "understand the past relationship between Latino communities and public health." This, in turn, will help health care workers "be more effective in researching and delivering services to these underserved areas," Mr. Sanchez asserts.
Commenting on the formation, activities and impact of the Young Lords will be Iris Morales, director of "Palante, Siempre Palante!" and former minister of education of the Young Lords New York City chapter; Willie Matos, head chair of ASPIRA of Connecticut and former member of the Young Lords Connecticut chapter; and Naomi Rogers, research affiliate, history of medicine, School of Medicine.
A party will take place 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m. at the Graduate and Professional Student Center, 204 York St. The event is designed as a networking vehicle for graduate and undergraduate students and members of the New Haven community. The cost is $2 per person; those under 18 are required to show a college I.D.
The evening's activities are being sponsored by the School of Medicine's Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Epidemiology and Public Health Student Organization, Dispierta Boricua, Lambda Psi Delta Sorority, the Yale Medical Student Council and the Professional Society of Latinos.
For additional information about the campus events, contact Mr. Sanchez at 436-2278. For more information about the Young Lord's Party or about "Palante, Siempre Palante!" contact the Association of Hispanic Arts at 212 860 5445.