Latinx Freedom Movement Conference at CUNY Graduate Center

The Latinx Freedom Movement Conference will take place April 9–10, 2026, at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. This gathering is designed to reclaim the history of Latinx civil rights activists from the 1960s and challenge the prevailing myth that Latinos are perpetual foreigners within the United States.

Organized by historians Felipe Hinojosa and Johanna Fernández, the conference brings together a diverse group of participants, including veterans of the 1960s movement, scholars, artists, historians, cultural leaders, graduate students, faculty, and archivists. The event focuses on the pivotal role Latinos played in expanding American democracy and aims to ensure their contributions are recognized as central to the broader American story.

Launch of the Latinx Freedom Movement Archive and Exhibition Project

The convening serves as the national launch for the Latinx Freedom Movement Archive and Exhibition Project. This initiative is part of a coordinated effort to preserve and amplify the legacies of aging Latinx movement veterans. The project focuses on safeguarding oral histories, archives, photographs, creative works, and intellectual contributions that might otherwise be erased.

As part of the U.S. Semiquincentennial, the project will debut a series of five outdoor exhibitions across the country on July 4, 2026. These exhibitions are intended to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by providing what Juan González, co-founder of the Young Lords and co-host of Democracy Now!, describes as sort of an alternative view of the anniversary.

The broader initiative seeks to introduce a new generation to the development of the Latinx freedom movement. Participants at the conference will examine themes including migration, labor, inequality, citizenship, and the colonial foundations of Latinx life in the United States.

Historical Context and Scope

The organizers of the conference situate the Latinx struggle for justice within a wide historical arc. This narrative begins with the U.S. Invasion of Mexico in 1846, which resulted in the U.S. Acquisition of 55 percent of Mexico’s territory. The scope also includes the colonization of Puerto Rico following the Spanish-American War in 1898.

By addressing these origins, the conference aims to close the knowledge gap regarding how Latinos arrived in the United States and how they subsequently worked to expand the meaning and experience of American democracy. The event emphasizes that Latinos joined and built movements alongside civil rights and black power organizations during the 1960s to fight for systemic justice.

Program and Keynote Speakers

The two-day program features keynote addresses from prominent figures in the movement, and academia. Martha Cotera is scheduled as the keynote speaker for Thursday, April 9, 2026. Juan González will serve as the keynote speaker for Friday, April 10, 2026.

In response to current political tensions, the conference will host a public Town Hall on Friday, April 10, 2026. The session, titled The Shadow of ICE: What It Means for Latinos — and for America, will feature a panel of experts and journalists.

• Maria Hinojosa, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist.
• Juan González, author of the book Harvest of Empire.
• William I. Robinson, a Professor of Sociology at UC Santa Barbara.

The event is located at the CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016. The gathering is intended to facilitate a dialogue between 1960s movement veterans and current scholars and the public to ensure the intellectual and creative contributions of that era are preserved for future generations.