
El Puente Legacy Campaign
El Puente Legacy Campaign
In celebration of our founder and social justice trailblazer Luis Garden Acosta El Puente is launching a Legacy Campaign to honor Luis as well as preserve and sustain the collective legacy of Luis and co-founders Dr. Frances Lucerna and Eugenio “Gino” Maldonado. The Legacy Campaign will incorporate two components:
The Luis Garden Acosta Legacy Fund
Our goal is to raise funding that will support El Puente's long-term sustainability and establish a reserve fund/endownment that will invest in the growth and expansion of our ongoing global social justice leadership initiatives such as:
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El Puente Puerto Rico LCAN (Latino Climate Action Network) - sustainability efforts around climate justice and environmental disaster relief.
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Youth Activists Ambassadors/Scholars Program with El Puente Puerto Rico.
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El Puente Global Justice Training Institute.
Legacy Tribute Events
These will include:
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El Puente’s Annual events such as: The 2019 3 Kings Celebration; La Caminata (the climate walk in Puerto Rico); WEPA Festival.
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El Puente’s environmental justice initiative such as, Our Air! ¡Nuestro Aire!
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A public "Celebration of Life" for Luis' in 2020, as well as other events.
We will also acknowledge the many ways Luis will be honored by other organizations impacted and inspired by his legacy.
Luis Garden Acosta
"What is it to live a courageous life"
Legacy Tribute Events
MAYOR DE BLASIO SIGNS LANDMARK LEGISLATION TO REFORM COMMERCIAL WASTE COLLECTION INDUSTRY at El Puente
El Puente hosted the signing of Landmark Legislation to reform the Commercial Waste Collection Industry. The historic and groundbreaking commercial waste zones bill was championed by Councilmember Antonio Reynoso and received unwavering support from Mayor Bill de Blasio. El Puente was chosen as the host site because of its nationally recognized environmental justice legacy and…
In honor of this anniversary, the nationally awarded poet, Martín Espada, wrote a moving poem “Morir Soñando” for his dear friend and mentor, Luis. The poem is published on the online magazine Rattle with an audio reading of the poem by Martín.
Click the links below to read or listen to the poem.
Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:00 AM PST
Martín Espada
MORIR SOÑANDO
for Luis Garden Acosta (1945-2019)
Brooklyn, New York
—from Poets Respond
January 7, 2020
Martín Espada: “This poem is an elegy for a dear friend and mentor, written to mark the first anniversary of his death on January 8th. Luis Garden Acosta, through his activism, organizing and vision, not only changed his community in Brooklyn, but the lives of untold thousands like me."