Honor Luis Garden Acosta

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.