Senate Resolution No. 302

BY: Senator SALAZAR

MOURNING the death of Luis Garden Acosta,
visionary civic leader and devoted member of his
Latino community

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to pay proper
tribute to individuals of great character whose lives exemplify the
highest ideals of humanity; and

WHEREAS, With deep regret this Legislative Body records the passing
of Luis Garden Acosta, on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, at the age of 73,
noting the loss of a citizen whose purposeful life and endeavors
contributed so much to the quality of life in his community; and

WHEREAS, Luis Garden Acosta was born in 1945, to Puerto Rican and
Dominican parents in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, at a time when crime and
gang violence was rampant in North Brooklyn; with a gentle, yet
resilient heart, he entered St. Mary's Seminary in the hopes of bringing
peace to his fellow man; and

WHEREAS, After listening to a life-changing speech by the great Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Luis Garden Acosta decided to become a human
rights and environmental advocate, fighting for the rights and safety of
his Latin-American community; and

WHEREAS, In 1970, Luis Garden Acosta joined the Young Lords Party
and later, established its Massachusetts chapter while he was a student
at Harvard Medical School; and

WHEREAS, In 1982, Luis Garden Acosta founded and served as President
of El Puente, a community-based human rights organization that builds
empowerment through the arts; under his luminous leadership, this vital
non-profit group co-founded the Latino Commission on AIDS and the New
York City Environmental Justice Alliance which conducted a three-year
asthma study, with its findings published by The American Journal of
Public Health; and

WHEREAS, Proud of his Puerto Rican heritage, Luis Garden Acosta felt
a special tie to his father's homeland; in the early 2000s, he was
instrumental in closing the United States Navy bombing range in Vieques,
which had been in use since the 1940s; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his valuable work with El Puente, Luis
Garden Acosta worked as a planner and community organizer for New York
City's Office of the Mayor; he also served as a Director for Greenpoint
Hospital, the Board President for America's first Afro-Cuban music
school, and was known on the radio as America's Public Health Disc
Jockey; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, Luis Garden Acosta served as the Vice Chair of
the Citizens Union, founding Chair of Youth Ministries for Peace and
Justice, and a member of the Boards of Directors for New Yorkers for
Parks and Just Food; and

WHEREAS, Our society is greatly benefited by the purposeful efforts
of individuals who unite for the cause of improving the quality of life
for others, and who proactively work toward the goal of dignity for all;
through Luis Garden Acosta's unremitting commitment, Brooklyn is truly a
safer place to raise strong, healthy children and families; and

WHEREAS, A devoted husband to Frances Lucerna, civic leader and
friend, Luis Garden Acosta's name is synonymous with character, dignity,
intellect, depth, and humor, qualities evident to his family and to all
those who were fortunate enough to have known him; he will be deeply
missed and truly merits the grateful tribute of this Legislative Body;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Luis Garden Acosta, visionary civic leader and
devoted member of his Latino community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Frances Lucerna, the wife of Luis Garden Acosta, the
Board of Directors of El Puente, and the Center for Puerto Rican Studies
at Hunter College.