Photo Gallery

Photography by Cecy Tee.

 

In 1968 Margarita “Mita” Cuaron was a 15-year-old sophomore at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, when Mita grabbed a bullhorn, climbed on top of a car, and shouted, “Walkout!”

Mita helped organize 22,000 students mostly of Mexican-American background, who participated in the 1968 East Los Angeles, Chicanx Student Walkout demanding better teachers, smaller classes, and equal opportunity in higher education. As a result, Mita was arrested, suspended, and dropped out of High School.

Mita went back to school, got her GED, and has been a registered nurse for the past 45 years. She continues to be involved in social activism, serving as a first aid nurse for demonstrations and as a leading artist, leading art groups for emotional healing.

On this 50th Anniversary of the 1968 East Los Angeles, Chicanx Student Walk-out, Mita travels with other 1968 student activists to share their experience of being part o a pivotal moment in history.

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The Radical Monarchs was founded by Chicana Latina Foundation’s alumna Anayvette Marinez and close friend Marilyn Hollinquest. In 2014, Anayvette’s daughter was in 4th grade and Anayvette began to imagine what a radical young girl’s social justice troop looked like: one that centered and affirmed her experiences a a beautiful and brilliant brown girl against societal pressures to conform to mainstream ideals.

Today, the Radical Monarch learn about social justice and self empowerment through experiential field trips and workshops, earning radical badges on topics like Black Lives Matter Radical Pride, Pachama Justice, and Radical Coding. The Radical Monarchs empower young girls of color so they stay rooted in their collective power, brilliance, and leadership to make the world a more radical place.

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