The Puerto Rican Radical Tradition at the People’s Forum

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY) and the People’s Forum host a community celebration and panel discussion marking the release of a two-volume special issue of CENTRO Journal dedicated to the Puerto Rican radical tradition.

The gathering brings together special issue guest editors José Laguarta Ramírez, Iris Morales, Sandy Plácido, and Saulo Colón Zavala in conversation with contributing authors. Nearly fifteen years in the making, the project expanded into two volumes following a record number of submissions documenting generations of struggle against colonial and racial capitalism. Speakers will reflect on the archival and oral histories assembled in the volumes—including those of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, the Young Lords, clandestine liberation movements, and student strikes at the University of Puerto Rico—with particular attention to working-class organizing, personal testimony, and the leadership of women in radical, queer, feminist, and anti-racist movements.

Panelists will discuss the concept and making of the volumes, the histories told within, and ways to apply these writings and theorizations to present and future struggles.

The event takes place on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET. Admission is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required through Eventbrite. More information is available on the People’s Forum website.