Today I thought of our friend Richie Perez who tragically died three years ago of cancer. He was truly a great spirit. Among many other things, he was a Young Lord, a teacher, an activist, and a visionary. Richie faught against so many things with absolute dedication. He took on issues of police brutality, racism in our educational system, prisoners' rights, and the rights of Puerto Rican people. He became a strong advocate with a powerful voice. Above all, I admired Richie's ability to connect and communicate with young people. He knew how to listen and create meaningful dialogue about critical issues of our time.

Richie was also highly intuitive and I believe that he was able to take the pulse of an entire community and push for progressive political and social reform. He was one of the first male activists I ever met that learned to question gender discrimination and women's rights issues within people of color communities. He knew how to effectively communicate the key issues that intersect race and gender. He was a gifted educator in this way.

Many of Richie's teachings had a strong impact on my beliefs. I believe that his work and philosophy have touched the lives of many people. If you want to learn more about who Richie Perez was, you can go to http://www.cssny.org/pubs/urbanagenda/2004_04_01.html