PRESS RELEASES

Release Date: March 26, 2004

CONTACT:
Lenore Neier, CSSNY, 212/614-5425
Lacey Siegel, CSSNY, 212/614-5495

New York City Loses Longtime Civil and Human Rights Activist

Richard Perez Is Dead At Age 59

New York, NY March 26, 2004 -- New York City has lost an ally, an advocate, a community leader, an urban warrior, and a loyal friend, Richard Perez. Richie Perez, a longtime activist and leader in the struggle for global social justice and human rights in New York City has lost the biggest crusade of his life, after a long battle against cancer, Richie died on the morning of Saturday, March 27, 2004 at the age of 59.

A former Young Lord and National Congress of Puerto Rican Rights co-founder, Richie Perez brought an unusual mix of integrity, zeal and unity to racial and ethnic communities in New York City and beyond in his fight against police brutality, and in favor of Puerto Rican independence, human rights and most recently felon disenfranchisement.

For over 20 years, Richie worked at the Community Service Society of New York (CSS). Since 1992, he served as the Director of Political Development. His overall responsibilities included aiding in the development of the agency's urban agenda, designing and overseeing a voter registration campaign that has registered more than 250,000 new voters, assisting local groups develop issue-based campaigns and providing training in community organizing strategy and tactics.

"He brought to CSS an unprecedented expertise in community organizing and mobilization, program development and implementation," stated David R. Jones, the CEO of CSS and a long-time friend and colleague. "How can I separate CSS's work from Richie, he has been our inspiration, a model and our conscience."

Under Richie's leadership, CSS staff organized a comprehensive community initiative in partnership with the tenants and other nonprofit organizations in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. Richie and the Community Development staff empowered the tenants of two run-down building complexes in Brooklyn to stand up against their negligent landlords by forming tenant associations. "Richie Provided leadership for saving low-income housing in Bedford Stuyvesant in the same way he provided leadership throughout NYC and in international human rights," said Angela Hope-Weusi the current Director of the Bedford Stuyvesant Community Development Department of CSS.

Prior to joining CSS, from 1972 - 1981 Mr. Perez taught college courses on the Puerto Rican urban experience, the mass media, U.S. social policy, and the history of the labor and civil rights movements at Richmond, Brooklyn and Hunter Colleges, College of New Rochelle, Empire State College and the Center for Legal Education and Urban Policy. He designed the course, "Urban Reality and the Mass Media" for prospective law students at CCNY's Urban Legal Studies Program.

Mr. Perez has written and lectured extensively on topics such as: urban problems, the restructuring of the U.S. economy, race relations, media stereotyping, electoral politics, community organizing, campus organizing, youth leadership development and political empowerment. He has been interviewed on 60 Minutes, NY 1's "Road to City Hall," Like It Is, Visiones, Positively Black, and Tiempo. He is also a founding member and current co-chair of the Justice Committee of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights.

Mr. Perez received his MA and has completed course work for a PhD in Bilingual Education with a concentration in Educational Sociology and Media Ecology from New York University. He attended Hunter College for his undergraduate degree and received his B.A. in Business Education.

"The loss to the Puerto Rican community in particular, is incalculable," noted Juan Cartagena CSS General Counsel, "and his zeal to confront the issues of how society and the courts were unfairly punishing persons with felony convictions through felon disenfranchisement laws was contagious."

Mr. Perez is survived by his wife Martha Laureano, the son that they raised, Danny, and his mother Ann Perez.

A wake will be on Monday from 4 to 5 pm and 7 to 9 pm and on Tuesday from 5 to 7 at Frank Campbell Funeral Home, 1076 Madison Avenue at 81st Street. Richie requested that that donations be made to the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights or to the "Voter Registration Campaign" of the Community Service Society.

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