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| Hobby Forum Index » Music - Afro Latin » Tribute to a P.R. Warrior Woman: Dr. Evelina... |
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| aurorazdb... |
 Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 5:18 am |
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Tribute to Dr. Evelina Antonetty
Wed. November 11, 2009
7 – 9:30 pm
Hostos Community College
475 Grand Concourse (Theater)
Free Tickets available at (no spam) the Box Office
For more information call: 718.993.0909
Celebrate the life of one of the greatest Puerto Rican Woman Warriors:
Dr. Evelina Antonetty
Mother of the South Bronx and Founder of United Bronx Parents, Inc.
Speakers • Poetry by Tato LaViera • Music by Yomo Toro & Zon del
Barrio
Celebrating Puerto Rican Heritage Month
Dr. Evelina López Antonetty
September 19, 1922 – November 19, 1984
Mujer, compañera, luchadora …MADRE! Evelina López Antonetty sparked
energy, strength and courage into these words, standing out as woman,
mother and champion of the Puerto Rican community. She was the
biological mother of three; the grandmother of five; the inspirational
mother of the young Latino leadership; the mother of mothers who found
themselves in a strange, cold land whose language was both harsh to
their ears and confusing to their minds. She was the mother of the
civil rights movement, huddling her diverse children of many hues in
the bosom of her solidarity; the mother of the South Bronx, giving
birth (after a long, hard labor) to United Bronx Parents, Inc.; the
mother of our roots; and, with all the fury of a lioness protecting
her young, Evelina López Antonetty was a mother to those who would
oppose this frontline fighter for freedom, dignity and unity among all
people.
Born in Salinas, Puerto Rico the eldest of three daughters, Evelina
arrived at the home of her aunt in New York’s “El Barrio” at the
tender age of eleven. It was the height of the depression, the
backdrop for the basic scenery of her life. It was here that she was
touched by the vibrant spirit of her Tía Vicenta’s active community
and political participation. Her aunt’s fervor for social justice was
Evelina’s sustenance throughout those formative years.
Her extended family was eventually united in New York providing a
concrete bond of love and nurturance during those trying times. By
the late ‘30s, the teenaged Evelina could be found out with her aunt
conversing with leaders such as Jesús Colón, involved in political
campaigns with Vito Mark Antonio in East Harlem, helping people handle
evictions, translating information and cutting her teeth in grass-
roots organizing. Her active efforts with the unions lead her to
become one of the first Latinas hired by District 65 opening many
doors to thousands of others looking for union jobs.
After her marriage, Evelina moved to Jackson Avenue in the Bronx.
Once her children were in school, she began to organize again this
time lobbying for the development of the Head Start programs, later to
become the Supervisor of the first Head Start center in the City. Her
inner light shone.
She organized the Bronx for the Lindsay administration under the
Puerto Rican Community Development Project. There she found herself
listening to the cries of confused parents whose children were tested
in English, then placed in mental development classes for slow or
impaired students. Evelina organized parents in sit-ins and
demonstrations. She demystified the arrogance and authority of
teachers and professionals who were misinterpreting the culture of our
heritage while breaking the spirit of its future. She inspired the
inherent dignity and pride of the community to prove that despite
language barriers and poverty, one still possessed the right to self-
determination and control. Educational policies changed. Para-
professionals, many of them the same parents who previously felt
helpless, worked alongside teachers.
Evelina struggled alongside blacks, whites and Latinos in negotiations
that lead to the decentralization of schools fought out of
Brownsville, Brooklyn. She was a visible and vocal member of the anti-
war efforts surrounding Vietnam. She believed in direct and active
action among people and with this belief she orchestrated many
successful demonstrations and take-overs. From one aggressive action
on an empty storefront, the United Bronx Parents (UBP) was born in
1965 out of an effort to oust a teacher sexually abusing children.
By the 1960s, the country’s newfound interest in peace, knowledge and
just causes held nothing new for Evelina López Antonetty. Her concern
for youth took her to the streets to work with gangs and young
radicals. Her concern for the community moved her to leadership in
the struggle for community control over Lincoln Hospital. These
efforts lead directly to the building of the new complex.
Through it all, Evelina never lost sight of her people or her
children. Every morning, she’d nourish the proud UBP Center with her
greeting, “Aqui ‘stoy.” Every visitor was welcomed with a warm smile
and a tender embrace. She found time to brew fresh coffee while
introducing every single member of her staff. From very early on, her
own children knew their mother was to be shared. “Many times we had
to wait on line to come to her with a problem,” recalls one of her
daughters. “But we were proud of her because in this way, she taught
us independence and self-determination.”
Independence and self-determination; these were the precepts Evelina
dreamed of for her community and for her beloved island. She was a
moving force behind the Comité Lares in the U.N. celebrating the
Island’s uprising against Spain while demanding the inclusion of
Puerto Rico on the agenda of the General Assembly. She lobbied for
the release of the five Puerto Rican Nationalists and rejoiced in
tears of joy upon their release. Her passion for freedom
notwithstanding, she managed to work within the system. She broke
bread with every minority group member and institutional policy maker,
bringing down the barriers of fear, race and intergenerational
confusion.
Meanwhile, United Bronx Parents burgeoned into a full social service
agency committed to community empowerment. It was a space filled with
creativity and energy. And with Evelina at its helm, it managed to
reach far beyond its Bronx based borders affecting every major
institution in the Tri-state area while influencing public policy
across the nation. Evelina was at the building of Hostos Community
College and supported the student’s demand for a bilingual/bicultural
educational curriculum. She was one of the forces behind MADRE, a
national organization in support of Nicaraguan women. She fought
against the stereotyping of our community as a member of the Committee
Against Fort Apache when she called for the boycotting of exploitative
movies. She taught women about themselves and their strengths without
undermining the faith of their men. She was a delegate member of the
White House Conference on Children and Youth and was affiliated with
national and local organizations too numerous to mention. She was
presented with many awards and citations, among them the Fanny Lou
Hammer Award from Women for Racial and Economic Equality, the Abraham
Lincoln Award for Human Services and an Honorary Degree in Humane
Letters from Manhattan College.
Her love and commitment to community flowed straight from the heart,
generous and abundant, as was her passion for social justice. She was
constantly and consistently motivated by the fires that stirred her
heart and in the end it was her heart that proved the most vulnerable.
Evelina was the epitome of Woman and with that force; she was a mother
to us all. She moved her comrades and friends as well as those
youngsters who only heard of her through word and deed. She embraced
young leaders breathing breaths of inspiration into their souls. She
took care of the sick and needy instilling strength and conviction
where once there reigned fear.
We came together to pay tribute to this legendary woman warrior who
needs not of our attempts of honor. Instead, we celebrate the joy in
our hearts in memory of her image and legacy. We celebrate the spirit
of hearth that spurred Evelina into our lives, touching our souls and
moving our minds. Think of her long enough and feel the warmth of her
smile. We ponder on the loss that took place on the birth of her
Island. Think of her long enough and feel the touch of her embrace.
Think of her long enough and you might just hear the feisty verve with
which she would say, “Remember kids, I’m a mother and I’m a mother!”
Delivered during a commemorative service for Dr. Evelina Antonetty
By Aurora Flores
© 1985 Aurora Communications, Inc.
All Rights Reserved |
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