Tengo Lincoln Park en mi Corazón:
Young Lords in Chicago

Meet Jacqui

Jacqueline (Jacqui) Lazú is a writer, public historian, archivist, and community collaborator whose work bridges scholarship, cultural production, and grassroots activism. Grounded in Latino studies, Puerto Rican studies, and critical race theory, her research explores diaspora, racial justice, and the role of cultural expression in social transformation. She works across literature, performance, and public history to center the lived experiences and political struggles of Latinx and Afro-Caribbean communities across the Americas.

A recognized scholar of the Young Lords Organization, Dr. Lazú has worked to preserve and interpret their legacy through archives, publications, exhibitions, and public programming. Her scholarship brings to light how a Chicago street gang transformed into a revolutionary group that challenged urban renewal, police violence, and racism through grassroots organizing and community care. She has published widely on their cultural and political impact and is the author of forthcoming books that document the history of the Chicago Young Lords and the expressive culture they generated.

Explore her work in community history, cultural memory, and resistance.