Items

• The Takeover Grows Stronger / La Toma del Edificio Está Más Fuerte

  Hostos United/Hostos Unido issued this bilingual bulletin on April 6, 1978 offering updates on the occupation of the 500 Grand Concourse building. The bulletin describes the ways that the space was being used for classes and childcare. It also implores more members of the Hostos community to participate in the occupation. To draw more public attention to their cause, and to demand needed funding to complete renovations to the building, students and faculty occupied the property to pressure Mayor Koch and other officials to enable bond sales and renovations to proceed. By 1977, the third part of the campaign to save Hostos Community College had picked up momentum. Having extremely poor facilities, the college had acquired a second building across the street from its original location that would allow Hostos to expand. However, the 500 Grand Concourse building needed renovations to be useable and the college was denied the funds necessary to prepare and occupy their second building. A fresh wave of organizing by students and faculty drove efforts to enable Hostos to continue to be a hub of opportunity for residents of the South Bronx.
• What's Happening at '500'? / Qué Pasa Con la Toma de 500?

  Hostos United/Hostos Unido issued this bulletin in April of 1978 to explain the occupation of the 500 Grand Concourse building. The bulletin not only encouraged members of the Hostos community to participate in and assist with the effort, but it also alluded to conflict between activists over the timing of the actual takeover. This bulletin encouraged community members to move beyond such conflict to strengthen their efforts. To draw more public attention to their cause, and to demand needed funding to complete renovations to the building, students and faculty occupied the property to run classes and activities to pressure Mayor Koch and other officials to enable bond sales and renovations to proceed. By 1977, the third part of the campaign to save Hostos Community College had picked up momentum. Having extremely poor facilities, the college had acquired a second building across the street from its original location that would allow Hostos to expand. However, the 500 Grand Concourse building needed renovations to be useable but the college had been denied the funds necessary to prepare and occupy their second building. A fresh wave of organizing by students and faculty drove efforts to enable Hostos to continue to be a hub of opportunity for residents of the South Bronx.
• Notice of Support from Student Government Organization

  Daniel Macias, President of the Student Government Organization, wrote this memo in April 1978 to show support for the occupation of the 500 Grand Concourse building. Macias encouraged members of the Hostos community to participate in and assist with the effort. To draw public attention to their cause, and to demand needed funding to complete renovations to the building, students and faculty occupied the property to run classes and activities to pressure Mayor Koch and other officials to enable bond sales and renovations to proceed. By 1977, the third part of the campaign to save Hostos Community College had picked up momentum. Having extremely poor facilities, the college had acquired a second building across the street from its original location that would allow Hostos to expand. However, the 500 Grand Concourse building needed renovations to be useable but the college had been denied the funds necessary to prepare and occupy their second building. A fresh wave of organizing by students and faculty drove efforts to enable Hostos to continue to be a hub of opportunity for residents of the South Bronx.
• Hostos United/Hostos Unido March 1978 Press Release

  In March 1978, Hostos United/Hostos Unido issued this press release about the decision to occupy the 500 Grand Concourse building. To draw public attention to their cause and to demand needed funding to complete renovations to the building, students and faculty occupied the property to run classes and activities to pressure Mayor Koch and other officials to enable bond sales and renovations to proceed. By 1977, the third part of the campaign to save Hostos Community College had picked up momentum. Having extremely poor facilities, the college had acquired a second building across the street from its original location that would offer the opportunity for Hostos to expand. However, the 500 Grand Concourse building needed renovations to be useable but the college had been denied the funds necessary to prepare and occupy their second building. A fresh wave of organizing by students and faculty drove efforts to enable Hostos to continue to be a hub of opportunity for residents of the South Bronx.
• Hostos United/Hostos Unido Meeting Minutes and Proposed Agenda, January 24, 1978

  These meeting minutes of the January 24th meeting of Hostos United/Hostos Unido show the plan to assess the group’s priorities and assign work to various committees. This was one of the first working meetings held by Hostos United/Hostos Unido. The group became the central activist group that led much of the campaign to expand to 500 Grand Concourse. It was organized by the Student Government Organization, the Puerto Rican Student Organization, the Dominican Student Organization, the South American Student Union, the Black Student Union, FUSP, the Professional Staff Congress and other unions representing college staff. In 1977, the third part of the campaign to save Hostos Community College was picking up momentum. Having extremely poor facilities, the college had acquired a second building across the street from its original location that would offer the opportunity for Hostos to expand. However, the 500 Grand Concourse building needed renovations to be useable but the college was denied the funds necessary to prepare and occupy their second building. A fresh wave of organizing by students and faculty drove efforts to enable Hostos to continue to be a hub of opportunity for residents of the South Bronx.
• Hostos United/Hostos Unido, January 17, 1978 Meeting Notes

  These handwritten notes were taken during the meeting in which leaders of student and labor groups decided to form Hostos United/Hostos Unido. The group became the central activist organization that led much of the campaign to expand the college to 500 Grand Concourse. It was organized by the Student Government Organization, the Puerto Rican Student Organization, the Dominican Student Organization, the South American Student Union, the Black Student Union, FUSP, the Professional Staff Congress and other unions representing college staff. These notes capture the various positions of different organization leaders and the distribution of labor that was agreed upon by the participants. They also describe the debates about governing structure, and the initial strategic decisions that would inform activist efforts in the coming three months. In 1977, the third part of the campaign to save Hostos Community College was picking up momentum. Having extremely poor facilities, the college had acquired a second building across the street from its original location that would allow Hostos to expand. However, the 500 Grand Concourse building needed renovations to be useable but the college had been denied the funds necessary to prepare and occupy their second building. A fresh wave of organizing by students and faculty drove efforts to enable Hostos to continue to be a hub of opportunity of residents of the South Bronx.
• Hostos United/Hostos Unido, January 17, 1978 Meeting Minutes

  These meeting minutes document the decision to form Hostos United/Hostos Unido on January 17th, 1978. Hostos United/Hostos Unido became the central activist group that led much of the campaign to expand to 500 Grand Concourse. It was organized by the Student Government Organization, the Puerto Rican Student Organization, the Dominican Student Organization, the South American Student Union, the Black Student Union, FUSP, the Professional Staff Congress and other unions representing college staff. These minutes describe the issue about which the group was formed, the debates about governing structure, and the initial strategic decisions that would inform activist efforts in the coming three months. In 1977, the third part of the campaign to save Hostos Community College was picking up momentum. Having extremely poor facilities, the college had acquired a second building across the street from its original location that would allow Hostos to expand. However, the 500 Grand Concourse building needed renovations to be useable but the college had been denied the funds necessary to prepare and occupy their second building. A fresh wave of organizing by students and faculty drove efforts to enable Hostos to continue to be a hub of opportunity for residents in the South Bronx.
• Q's and A's about the Take-Over of 500 Grand Concourse

  This information sheet produced by Hostos United/Hostos Unido offers students, faculty, and community members basic information about the occupation of the 500 Grand Concourse building in the Spring of 1978. To demand needed funding to complete renovations to the building, students and faculty occupied the property to run classes and activities to pressure Mayor Koch and other officials to enable bond sales and renovations to proceed. By 1977, the third part of the campaign to save Hostos Community College had picked up momentum. Having extremely poor facilities, the college had acquired a second building across the street from its original location that would allow Hostos to expand. However, the 500 Grand Concourse building needed renovations to be useable but the college had been denied the funds necessary to prepare and occupy their second building. A fresh wave of organizing by students and faculty drove efforts to enable Hostos to continue to be a hub of opportunity for residents of the South Bronx. Hostos United/Hostos Unido was an umbrella activist group that led much of the campaign to expand to 500 Grand Concourse. It was organized in January of 1978 by the Student Government Organization, the Puerto Rican Student Organization, the Dominican Student Organization, the South American Student Union, the Black Student Union, FUSP, the Professional Staff Congress and other unions representing college staff.
• El Coquí, Volume 8, Number 3, December 1977

  El Coquí was a college newspaper published monthly by the Office of College Relations and Development at Hostos Community College. This December 1977 issue featured stories describing President Jimmy Carter’s recent visit to the South Bronx as well as a discussion of Bankers Trust intention to purchase bonds in order to finance the renovation of the 500 Grand Concourse building. By 1977, the third part of the campaign to save Hostos Community College had picked up momentum. Having extremely poor facilities, the college had acquired a second building across the street from its original location that would allow Hostos to expand. However, the 500 Grand Concourse building needed renovations to be useable but the college had been denied the funds necessary to prepare and occupy their second building. A fresh wave of organizing by students and faculty drove efforts to enable Hostos to continue to be a hub of opportunity for residents of the South Bronx.
• El Coquí, Volume 8, Number 1, October 1977

  El Coquí was a college newspaper published monthly by the Office of College Relations and Development at Hostos Community College. This October 1977 issue featured stories on the new agenda of the incoming Acting President of the college Anthony Santiago, in the wake of Candido Antonio de Leon’s resignation. Additionally, this issue described the failure of the school to secure federal funds for the renovation of the 500 Grand Concourse building through the Local Public Works Program. The school had hoped that an application for federal assistance would bring the college needed funding to move forward on its expansion. By 1977, the third part of the campaign to save Hostos Community College had picked up momentum. Having extremely poor facilities, the college had acquired a second building across the street from its original location that would allow Hostos to expand. However, the 500 Grand Concourse building needed renovations to be useable but the college had been denied the funds necessary to prepare and occupy their second building. A fresh wave of organizing by students and faculty drove efforts to enable Hostos to continue to be a hub of opportunity for residents of the South Bronx.
• El Coquí, Volume 7, Number 8, May 1977

  El Coquí was a college newspaper published monthly by the Office of College Relations and Development at Hostos Community College. This 1977 issue features a story announcing the resignation of Candido Antonio de Leon from his post as President of the college. Having been with the college since its inception, and having played a frequently controversial role in the various campaigns at Hostos, de Leon’s resignation marked an important historical moment for the school.
• Protest Day in New York / Dia de Protesta en Nueva York

  This flier announces a citywide protest to the headquarters of the Emergency Financial Control Board (EFCB) in April of 1977. Targeted specifically to Puerto Ricans and the Latino American community, the flier describes rampant financial hardship and the need to protest worsening conditions. The EFCB was the body put in place to manage the budget crisis plaguing New York City. Made up largely of business people and bankers alongside city and state officials, the board was viewed as the driving force behind the massive cuts to public services New Yorkers sustained, including cuts to funding for CUNY. This flier articulates the need for Puerto Ricans and other members of the Latino community to come together to oppose the actions of the EFCB.
• New York Protest Day Announcement

  This flier, distributed by the Citywide Community Coalition, announces a citywide protest to the headquarters of the Emergency Financial Control Board (EFCB) in April of 1977. The EFCB was the body put in place to manage the budget crisis plaguing New York City. Made up largely of business people and bankers alongside city and state officials, the board was viewed as the driving force behind the massive cuts to public services New Yorkers sustained, including cuts to funding for CUNY. This flier articulates the need for groups from all across the city who have independently been fighting cuts to come together to oppose the actions of the EFCB.
• Gerald Meyer Statement on the 500 Grand Concourse Building

  Gerald Meyer, a founding faculty member at Hostos Community College and President of the Hostos chapter of the Professional Staff Congress made this statement at a press conference held on March 30, 1976. The statement articulates that facilities at the college are woefully inadequate for the needs of the student body and are inferior to facilities at other City University of New York campuses. Meyer points out that while the 500 Grand Concourse building across the street from the existing college had already been designated for Hostos, the college had not been allowed to move forward on acquiring and renovating the building. By 1977, the third part of the campaign to save Hostos Community College had picked up momentum. Having extremely poor facilities, the college had acquired a second building across the street from its original location that would allow Hostos to expand. However, the 500 Grand Concourse building needed renovations to be useable but the college had been denied the funds necessary to prepare and occupy their second building. A fresh wave of organizing by students and faculty drove efforts to enable Hostos to continue to be a hub of opportunity for residents of the South Bronx.
• Eco de Hostos: September 1976 / Eco de Hostos: Septiembre 1976

  Eco de Hostos is the Hostos Community College bilingual student newspaper. This September-October 1976 issue features stories on the victory of keeping Hostos open alongside massive cuts to its budget. Also included in this issue are discussions of the impacts of retrenchment on the school, an account of the efforts to save the school, veterans’ issues with their benefits, and editorials critiquing the actions of the college’s President, Candido Antonio de Leon.
• Letter to PSC President Irwin H. Polishook from Candido Antonio de Leon, Hostos President

  By June of 1976, when it became clear that Hostos Community College would be saved from closure, the President of the college, Candido Antonio de Leon wrote a letter to the President of the Professional Staff Congress, Irwin Polishook, thanking him for his efforts in saving the school. The Professional Staff Congress is the union that represents City University of New York faculty and staff, and they were instrumental in the campaign to prevent Hosotos Community College from closing. In 1975, in response to the New York City fiscal crisis, the City University of New York proposed massive cuts and closures across the campuses in order to dramatically cut spending. Of all the campuses in the system, the administration targeted campuses primarily serving minority communities for their most extreme measures. Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. It was this threat that led to the second iteration of organizing to save Hostos. Determined to preserve Hostos for the South Bronx as a place for students to pursue a bilingual higher education, students, faculty, staff, and community groups joined forces to keep Hostos open for the community.
• Letter from Assembly Speaker Stanley Steingut to Peter Roman

  The Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Stanley Steingut, wrote this letter as a response to the chairman of the Social Sciences department at Hostos Community College, Peter Roman. His letter conveys that there is a bill in the Assembly’s Higher Education Committee that would mandate the continuation of a campus dedicated to bilingual higher education. Steingut also conveys that the future of Hostos Community College is important to the legislature. In 1975, in response to the New York City fiscal crisis, the City University of New York proposed massive cuts and closures across the campuses in order to dramatically cut spending. Of all the campuses in the system, the administration targeted campuses primarily serving minority communities for their most extreme measures. Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. It was this threat that led to the second iteration of organizing to save Hostos. Determined to preserve Hostos for the South Bronx as a place for students to pursue a bilingual higher education, students, faculty, staff, and community groups joined forces to keep Hostos open for the community.
• Community Coalition to Save Hostos Organizing Workshop

  The Community Coalition to Save Hostos hosted an all-day workshop to train members of the South Bronx community in organizing skills, strategies, and challenges in April of 1976. This program outlines the events of the day. The Community Coalition to Save Hostos was a collaboration between student and faculty groups and community organizations dedicated to preventing the closure of Hostos Community College. In 1975, in response to the New York City fiscal crisis, the City University of New York proposed massive cuts and closures across the campuses in order to dramatically cut spending. Of all the campuses in the system, the administration targeted campuses primarily serving minority communities for their most extreme measures. Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. It was this threat that led to the second iteration of organizing to save Hostos. Determined to preserve Hostos for the South Bronx as a place for students to pursue a bilingual higher education, students, faculty, staff, and community groups joined forces to keep Hostos open for the community.
• "Black Students Union and Black Organizations Demonstration Against Genocide and Racism"

  The Black Students Union and other supportive organizations sponsored a demonstration at the United Nations in April of 1976 to oppose the City University of New York’s proposals to close and merge colleges that mainly served minority communities. In 1975, in response to the New York City fiscal crisis, the City University of New York had proposed massive cuts and closures across the campuses in order to dramatically cut spending. The most severe cuts and closures were targeted at campuses that primarily served minority communities. Attempts to close Medgar Evers College, John Jay College, and Hostos Community College sparked widespread activism and numerous demonstrations. This flier advertised one such demonstration.
• "Save Hostos Marathon"

  The Community Coalition to Save Hostos deployed a variety of strategies to build awareness and organize against the proposed closure of Hostos Community College. The Community Coalition was comprised of student and faculty groups and community organizations dedicated to keeping the school open. This flier promotes an April 1976 event, featuring speeches and entertainment. In 1975, in response to the New York City fiscal crisis, Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. It was this threat that led to the second iteration of organizing to save Hostos. Determined to preserve Hostos for the South Bronx as a place for students to pursue a bilingual higher education, students, faculty, staff, and community groups joined forces to keep Hostos open for the community.
• Letter to Governor Carey from Peter Roman, Chairman of Hostos Social Sciences Department

  The chairman of the Social Sciences department at Hostos Community College penned this letter to Governor Hugh Carey asking him to prevent the closure of Hostos and the merger with Bronx Community College. Professor Peter Roman argues that the college is a crucial part of the South Bronx community, that its success depends on its proximity to people who need it, and that a closure or merger will actually create more costs for the city than savings by depriving the most vulnerable New Yorkers of avenues out of poverty and dependency. In 1975, in response to the New York City fiscal crisis, Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. It was this threat that led to the second iteration of organizing to save Hostos. Determined to preserve Hostos for the South Bronx as a place for students to pursue a bilingual higher education, students, faculty, staff, and community groups joined forces to keep Hostos open for the community.
• Letter to the Editor of the New York Times: City University: On the Need to Save John Jay and Hostos

  On March 8, 1976 the New York Times published two letters to the editor alongside each other. Acting President of John Jay College, Gerald W. Lynch, wrote to publicly oppose the proposed merger of John Jay College with Baruch College. He argued that such a merger was unlikely to yield the financial savings that elected officials sought, that the potential losses that would result were severe, and that there were viable alternatives to the merger that would avoid such sacrifices while achieving savings. In the second letter, Peter Roman, Chairman of the Social Sciences Department at Hostos, calls the cuts "senseless, cruel, and destructive." He names the many ways the college provides for the underserved community of the South Bronx and its Spanish speaking community. In 1975, the New York City fiscal crisis led to efforts by city officials and the CUNY administration to close or merge multiple campuses in order to pay back debt owed to major banks. John Jay College was proposed to merge with Baruch College and Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. The proposals generated massive resistance on the part of students, faculty, and community groups.
• "Open Letter to the Hostos Community" / "Carta Publica a la Comunidad de Hostos" from Jose Martinez

  Jose Martinez wrote this open letter in both English and Spanish to the Hostos Community College community on behalf of the Dominican Students Association to state that the vulnerability of the college had become so dire that massive collective action had become necessary. Under threat of closure, student and community groups needed to join forces to prevent the City University of New York from closing the only bilingual college available for people in the South Bronx and the only such college in the eastern United States. In 1975, the New York City fiscal crisis led to efforts by city officials and the CUNY administration to close or merge multiple campuses in order to pay debts that were owed to major banks. Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. It was this threat that led to the second iteration of organizing to save Hostos. Determined to preserve Hostos for the South Bronx as a place for students to pursue a bilingual higher education, students, faculty, staff, and community groups joined forces to keep Hostos open.
• Letter to Hostos Community College Students from Professor Diane Penner

  Professor Diane Penner wrote this letter to the Hostos Community College student body in 1976 to encourage them to pressure state officials to oppose Hostos’ closure. As a faculty member and activist on the Save Hostos Committee, Penner’s letter gave students instructions on how to urge their representatives to protect their school. In 1975, the New York City fiscal crisis led to efforts by city officials and the CUNY administration to close or merge multiple campuses in order to pay back debt that was owed to major banks. Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. It was this threat that led to the second iteration of organizing to save Hostos. Determined to preserve Hostos for the South Bronx as a place for students to pursue a bilingual higher education, students, faculty, staff, and community groups joined forces to keep Hostos open. The faculty and students at Hostos Community College deployed political and protest strategies to achieve their goals.
• PSC/CUNY Executive Council Resolution on the Proposed Elimination of Hostos Community College

  In 1976, the Executive Council of the Professional Staff Congress (PSC) produced this resolution to convey their opposition to the proposal to close multiple community college campuses in New York City’s effort to save money. They also resolved to use all of their political resources to defeat the proposal and hold a demonstration to help to unify and build opposition to the proposal. The PSC, the union that represents faculty and staff employed by the City University of New York, was a crucial collaborator in all three campaigns to save Hostos Community College from inadequate facilities, budget cuts, and closure threats. In 1975, the New York City fiscal crisis led to efforts by city officials and the CUNY administration to close or merge multiple campuses in order to pay back debt that was owed to major banks. Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. It was this threat that led to the second iteration of organizing to save Hostos. Determined to preserve Hostos for the South Bronx as a place for students to pursue a bilingual higher education, students, faculty, the PSC, and community groups joined forces to keep Hostos open.