FIRST SPANISH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

On June 28, 1969, the Young Lords, a radical youth organization founded by Pablo Guzman and David Perez, took over the First Spanish United Methodist Church, renaming it "People's Church". From the church they ran a breakfast program, day care, health testing, and educational classes for the local community. The Young Lords sought to improve living conditions for Latino and African American residents of East Harlem (El Barrio). "The People's Church Offensive" ended in January of 1970 when the police forcibly entered the church and arrested the Young Lords for civil contempt. The First Spanish United Methodist Church remains a symbol of the NYC Latino empowerment movement.