1970 Lincoln Hospital takeover facts for kids

In 1970, a group called the Young Lords took over the Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx, New York City. This was a protest to demand better healthcare and practices from the hospital staff. The takeover led to many news stories that showed how bad conditions were at Lincoln Hospital. After this event, new laws helped improve healthcare for people in the South Bronx, especially African-American and Puerto Rican residents. However, hospitals in poorer areas, like Lincoln Hospital, still sometimes struggle with less funding.

Why the Young Lords Protested Lincoln Hospital

Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx faced many problems. Studies showed that African American and Hispanic patients had a higher chance of dying after being diagnosed with certain illnesses there. Many people, including hospital staff and members of the Young Lords, felt the hospital needed a lot more money and support from the community. For many years, the city and state did not give enough attention to the hospital, which caused its poor conditions in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Who Were the Young Lords?

The Young Lords were a group of Puerto Rican activists who first started in Chicago, Illinois. As their group grew, Puerto Ricans in New York City wanted to create their own chapters in places like East Harlem, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. The New York chapter of the Young Lords began in 1969, just one year before the Lincoln Hospital takeover. This group focused on helping people with their "immediate needs." This meant they worked to improve healthcare, housing, and fight against unfair treatment. For example, in the 1960s and 1970s, the Young Lords helped open testing centers for Tuberculosis for people of color in poorer neighborhoods like the South Bronx. They did this because there weren't enough testing places available at public hospitals and private clinics for African Americans and Puerto Ricans. The Young Lords believed that "community control is the heart of the work," meaning that local communities should have a say in their services.

Problems at Lincoln Hospital

There were many stories about bad conditions and wrong practices by the staff at Lincoln Hospital. For instance, there were reports of doctors and nurses accidentally leaving surgical tools inside patients after operations. Also, between 1960 and 1970, the number of babies who died at Lincoln Hospital was three times higher than the national average. A very sad event that the Young Lords called "preventable" was the death of Carmen Rodriguez. Her death led the Young Lords to create the Patient Bill of Rights. This document demanded that all patients, no matter their race, social status, or how much money they had, should be treated with respect and dignity when they received hospital care.

Because their demands were not met, the Young Lords Party in New York decided to organize and take over the hospital.

The Lincoln Hospital Takeover in 1970

On July 14, 1970, at 5:15 AM, about 150 people, mostly members of the Young Lords Party, entered Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx. Some important people involved in the takeover included Iris Morales, Felipe Luciano, Juan Gonzalez, Miguel "Mickey" Melendez, and Pablo "Yoruba" Guzman.

During the day, leaders of the Young Lords, along with other community groups, met with hospital leaders and city officials. They discussed what the hospital needed to do to meet the Young Lords' demands. These demands were all about community care and making sure healthcare services fit the needs of the Bronx community.

Around 4:30 PM, the hospital staff and the Young Lords leaders reached an agreement. The Young Lords agreed to end the takeover. In return, they were allowed to run certain community programs inside the hospital, with help from the hospital staff. The entire takeover lasted 12 hours. Some reports say the Young Lords were forced out by the police. To avoid being arrested, many Young Lords members left the hospital wearing medical coats and scrubs.