The Division Street Riots

June 12, 1966

 

the summer of the first

Puerto Rican Day parade, the hood

bomba-d in the face of imperialists.

cops felt some type of way. chased

Aracelis Cruz thru alleys & shot him

in the back. neighbors stepped

off porches, from in front of coolers

to assist the young man laying

on the ground in the lot near Damen

& the police protected the land

grab with batons & brute force & beat

abuelitas armed with only chancletas.

 

for 2 days, Division became the Island

unified. the sun rose & soon the metal

flags. the iron of Oscar Lopez. Humboldt

Park to La Clark, Puerto Ricans aligned

across redlines with Panthers, a coalition

of Brown & Black, the bosses’ greatest fear.

Division Street became a gauntlet

a proving ground. Cha Cha Jimenez6

would feel the earth quiver & kneel

before its majesty, in isolation, in county

throwing up junk & sins & the Young

Lords will rise like the sun

& daughters & sons will defend

abuelitas armed with chancletas

in the name of the island & ancient

G-ds, in solidarity & self-determination.

 

the fight, the stand

the stake in the land

 

from here, a people

will not move.