Los Siete de la Raza poster

Los Siete de la Raza were seven youths from San Francisco’s Mission District, accused of killing a cop on May 1, 1969. Their trial was a key moment in the awakening of consciousness for Latin@s in the Bay Area. After an eighteen-month trial that mobilized the community, all of Los Siete were acquitted. The Los Siete Defense Committee transformed itself into a radical community organization, animated by principles of self-determination and “serve the people,” starting a free breakfast program, a free medical clinic, a workers’ restaurant, and the Basta Ya! newspaper. Los Siete developed a revolutionary Third World internationalism, embodied in the inclusive term “Raza,” linking the struggles of Latin@s with those of other communities of color including the Alcatraz occupation, the Black Panthers, and the Puerto Rican Young Lords. The issues that Los Siete de la Raza raised—including fighting police repression, gentrification, and sellout leaders; the necessity for people’s programs vs. dependence on charity or government; linking community organizing with cultural work; and facing the challenges of being “revolutionary” and staying community-based—continue to be relevant in today’s struggles.

*Have your poster shipped in a Poster Tube for extra protection! Posters not shipped in tubes will be folded in half for packaging and are more subject to wear while shipping.*