From Rebellion to Excellence: Special Events Commemorating Newark Rebellion Held for Hispanic Heritage Month

As part of this year's Hispanic Heritage Month, which ran from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, several Victoria Foundation grantees presented "From Rebellion to Excellence: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Newark's Puerto Rican Rebellion of 1974," a month-long series of events that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Newark Puerto Rican Rebellion of 1974.

"La Casa de Don Pedro set out to educate newer generations of Newarkers on the history of our strong and resilient communities," said Peter T. Rosario, president and chief executive officer at La Casa de Don Pedro. "With support from sponsors and partners like Victoria Foundation, Newark Public Library, FOCUS, and ASPIRA, we developed a series of events and exhibits aimed at honoring the rebellion, which led to reform and growth over the past five decades."

"From Rebellion to Excellence: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Newark's Puerto Rican Rebellion of 1974" was a multi-agency commemoration of the rebellion that devastated and inspired Newark's Latino community. The Newark Puerto Rican Rebellion of 1974 catalyzed the Latinx community to become increasingly involved in politics, community organizing, and other initiatives that would ensure the representation of Hispanics in Newark.

To honor the anniversary, La Casa de Don Pedro, FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development Inc., ASPIRA Inc. of New Jersey, the New Jersey Hispanic Research and Information Center (NJHRIC), and the Newark Public Library recognized the need to commemorate the rebellion that occurred 50 years ago and honor the excellence that has risen from the community. The commemoration was funded in part by Victoria Foundation through a grant to La Casa de Don Pedro to host a community event in honor of the Foundation's centennial anniversary.

"As one of the organizers of this commemoration, we set out to strengthen Newark's community power by providing historic information on civic capacity issues, which is aligned with one of Victoria Foundation's strategic goals," said Maritza Aráuz, executive director at FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development Inc. "It is important that the Latinx community understand its history of the '74 Puerto Rican rebellion and the roots of the racial injustices at the beginning of a civil rights' movement in Newark. We need to make sure it doesn't happen again, in addition to improving social justice to close the racial wealth gap."

"From Rebellion to Excellence: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Newark's Puerto Rican Rebellion of 1974" opened on Sept. 18 with a panel presentation at the Newark Public Library, which featured Felipe Chavana, Esq. and William Q. Sanchez, eyewitnesses to the rebellion; Juber Ayala, Newark Public Library archivist; and retired Municipal Court Judge and Educator Myrna Milan, moderator. Judge Milan discussed her own experience of witnessing a riot in Hoboken, New Jersey, before leading the panel; Sanchez recounted what he witnessed on the day the rebellion began; Chavana spoke about his experience in interviewing assault victims of the rebellion; and Ayala discussed the history on the subject and the difficulties in researching it.

On Oct. 5, a Family Day Festival was held at Branch Brook Park, the location where the police misconduct occurred that started the Newark riots in 1974. What was a scene of violence and chaos all those years ago was now a place of unity and celebration for the Latinx community. The festival featured a live Latinx band playing the best in salsa music, food trucks, face painting and a bouncy house for children, information on local resources, and much more. But what was most prevalent was the comradery amongst the community, local government including Councilman at-Large Luis A. Quintana, and the Latinx serving Newark nonprofits, all who came together to make this day a tremendous success.

"From Rebellion to Excellence: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Newark's Puerto Rican Rebellion of 1974" is also being commemorated through an exhibition titled "Newark '74: From Rebellion to Excellence" at the Newark Public Library. Curated by the NJHRIC team Yesenia Lopez, Juber Ayala, and Fabian Paredes; and Guest Curator William Q. Sanchez, the exhibition features a selection of original prints by Afro-Puerto Rican Painter, Graphic Artist, Sculptor, and Community Activist Samuel Lind and a collection of authentic vejigante masks. Glass casings placed around the vestibule and filled with old newspaper articles, journal entries, photographs, and more provide a snapshot of Newark's Puerto Rican/Latinx community from the 1950s-1990s, a description of the 1974 riots, a small sample of Latinos who have excelled in their fields, and items containing the history of the rebellion. This exhibit is on display until Dec. 31, 2024, at the Newark Public Library.

Another special event for the commemoration is the Latinx Heritage Trail, where participants walk along a guided tour to learn about the landmark locations and organizations that paved the way for Newark's Latinx community.

For more info on "From Rebellion to Excellence: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Newark's Puerto Rican Rebellion of 1974" events, visit lacasanwk.org/rebelliontoexcellence.

LATINX ART – The "Newark '74: From Rebellion to Excellence" exhibit is on display until Dec. 31, 2024, at the Newark Public Library.