LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Apolinar Trinidad, legend-
ary Dominican political activist and civil rights leader

WHEREAS, It is with great sorrow and deep regret that this Legislative
Body records the passing of Apolinar Trinidad, noting the significance
of his purposeful life and accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, Apolinar Trinidad, affectionately known as Trinidad or Trini,
died on Wednesday, January 19, 2011, at the age of 60; he was a fiercely
independent leader largely credited with pioneering a movement for elec-
toral empowerment and immigrant rights; and
WHEREAS, Born in Samana, Dominican Republic, on October 12, 1950, to
Francisca and Aquilino Trinidad, Apolinar Trinidad migrated to the
United States at the age 19; for over 27 years, Trinidad was employed by
the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal as a Rent
Program Specialist advising tenants on the complicated maze of New York
State housing laws; he graduated from Bronx Community College and later
studied at Columbia University; and
WHEREAS, In the early 1980s, Apolinar Trinidad co-founded Latinos
United for Political Action (LUPA), an independent civil rights organ-
ization dedicated to championing Latino electoral and immigrant empower-
ment; Dominican electoral aspirations were limited by high levels of
noncitizenship, and in what has been described as a watershed for New
York's Dominican participation, Trinidad organized a Dominican electoral
front that resulted in the first Dominican representation to the Commu-
nity Development Agencies (CDA) Advisory boards that permitted nonciti-
zen voting and distributed a significant amount per year in anti-poverty
funds to community groups; and
WHEREAS, Apolinar Trinidad later became a CDA official and was
appointed as a representative on that board; that same year, he was
elected to New York City Community School Board 6 in Washington Heights;
and
WHEREAS, In 2000, Apolinar Trinidad brought a then relatively unknown
candidate, Michael Bloomberg, to Washington Heights for a community
breakfast at a local restaurant in order to outline his platform for the
Latino community; Trini's activities were not limited to the electoral
arena during this crucial period of activism in the 1980s and 1990s in
the Latino community, but he would also engage in a whirlwind of activ-
ity in defense of immigrant rights; and
WHEREAS, As the City's demographics changed from a largely Puerto
Rican to a more diverse Latino population, Apolinar Trinidad partic-
ipated in efforts to curb police misconduct of all nationalities; as
part of the Latino Coalition for Racial Justice (LCRJ), he helped to
lead the protest against the police killing of Juan Rodriguez, a Domini-
can immigrant in Brooklyn; and
WHEREAS, The slogan, "Hoy Por Juan Rodriguez, Manana Por Nosotros,"
(Today for Juan Rodriguez, tomorrow all of us) became a rallying cry in
Latino communities throughout the city against police brutality; and
WHEREAS, Apolinar Trinidad's organization, Latinos United for Poli-
tical Action, would pursue changes in major public policy initiatives;
he held meetings and wrote appeals to former Bronx Congressmen Robert
Garcia, who chaired the House Committee of the Census, to create a
"Dominican" nationality check-off so that the city and state could gauge
the growing number of Dominicans in the local communities; and
WHEREAS, Apolinar Trinidad presented a major policy address in 1988 to
the Federation of Dominican Merchants in the Dominican Republic on
economic development efforts between the Dominican Republic and the
Dominican Diaspora in the United States, and also called on the United

States to pay reparations to the Dominican Republic for the invasion of
1965; Trini was an active member and union representative of DC 37,
working to ensure that all workers obtained their economic rights and
were able to preserve their pensions and benefits from the city; and
WHEREAS, Later in his life, Apolinar Trinidad became an active member
of the Unity Church and called on the Latino leadership along with his
followers to embrace a divine moral compass that would give his communi-
ty, caught in a political and economic crisis, a new spiritual founda-
tion; and
WHEREAS, Through his persistent advocacy, Apolinar Trinidad was one of
the behind-the-scene forces that laid the foundation for a new gener-
ation of leadership in the Dominican community and the City at large; a
true asset to society, he fought for the human rights of people of every
race, nationality, and gender; and
WHEREAS, Apolinar Trinidad is survived by his mother Francisca, his
son Socrates, his brother Miguel and his grandchild, Adrianna Fatima;
and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Apolinar Trinidad leaves
behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Apolinar Trinidad, legendary Dominican political
activist and civil rights leader; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Apolinar Trinidad.