Object Image

Felipe Luciano

Felipe Luciano Born c. 1948

Born New York City

In 1969 Felipe Luciano helped to found the New York chapter of the Young Lords, a political activist group that served as an important voice for the Puerto Rican community. A reformed gang member, Luciano—known during this period as "the Magnet"—emerged as a charismatic orator. He led numerous demonstrations and initiated campaigns on behalf of New York’s Puerto Rican community. At this time he also began to deliver spoken-word performances and was a member of the Original Last Poets, a group of writers whose frequently improvisational compositions were rooted in street culture. In this 1970 photograph, the twenty-two-year-old Luciano stands befo...

1970
Gelatin silver print
15.1 x 23.1cm
NPG.2009.5
Image and text © National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, 2023

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