Johanna Fernández. The Young Lords: A Radical History.

Abstract

Historically, Latinx individuals have taken part in mobilizations for equality, equity, and inclusion led by African Americans—evidenced today by their involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement—but participants have been primarily discussed by the mainstream as a Latinx monolith. Johanna Fernández’s The Young Lords: A Radical History seeks to enhance the narrative by looking at Puerto Ricans’ history of struggle in the United States, and more specifically New York, and their alignment with Black social causes. The book focuses on the Puerto Rican Young Lords, who modeled themselves after the Black Panther Party and joined forces with a chorus of groups advocating for the dismantling of the American capitalist structure in favor of a socialist society they viewed as more equitable. The book expands the discussion of civil rights and Black Power historiography by highlighting the imperative role that Puerto Ricans played in the liberation movement of New York between...