Antonia Pantojas

ANTONIA PANTOJAS
Civic Pioneer for Puerto Ricans Dies
By Bryan Virasami
STAFF WRITER

Antonia Pantoja, an educator and community activist in the Puerto Rican community and a founder of some of the nation's longest-lasting Latino organizations and institutions, died Friday of cancer at the
Cabrini Medical Center hospice in Manhattan. She was 80.

Pantoja, who moved to New York City from San Juan in 1944, helped found the Puerto Rican Forum, a business development and job-training program, and Aspira, a national Puerto Rican and Latino youth leadership and educational institution. Aspira, which has chapters in New York and five other states, counts among its alumni Board of Education president Ninfa Segarra; former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer; Aida Alvarez, the former director of the Small Business Administration in the Clinton administration; Nelson A. Diaz, the first Puerto Rican solicitor general in Philadelphia; and actor Jimmy Smits.

Pantoja, who recently finished her autobiography "Memoir of a
Visionary: Antonia Pantoja," received the Presidential Medal of
Freedom in 1996 from President Bill Clinton. "In the Puerto Rican community she's probably the most prominent person we have," said Angelo Falcon, senior policy executive at the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. "She's known as a real institution builder. She's had a tremendous influence in the
community."

"In spite of the public recognition and acknowledgment she received,
she saw herself basically as a person of the people and committed to
being accessible to the people," Pantoja's longtime partner, Wilhelmina Perry, said yesterday. Pantoja, who was born in San Juan on Sept. 13, 1921, graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a teaching certificate. She taught there for two years before moving to New York City. She earned a bachelor's degree in social science from Hunter College, a master's in social work from Columbia University and a doctorate from the Union Graduate School in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

She helped found the Universidad Boricua, which became Boricua
College in Brooklyn, and the Graduate School for Community
Development, an alternative school in San Diego. She also taught at
Columbia and the California State University in San Diego.

She received numerous awards from government and community-based organizations, including the state Board of Regents, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund, Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center.

She is survived by Perry of New York City; a brother, Esteban Lopez,
of San Juan and a sister, Haydee Lopez of Carolina, Puerto Rico.

A person that dignifies the true meaning of "orgullo del momento".

Además nuestro portal tiene actualmente las siguientes figuras en el espacio Orgullo del momento de las distintas secciones. Conózcalos y celebremos todos sus ejecutorias y sus éxitos.

Puerto Rico Rainbow Foundation

Ricky Martin

Borrowing Time
A Latino Sexual Odyssey

Carlos Sánchez Presidente de Pro-Vida

Christina Hayworth Fundadora de la Parada de Orgullo Gay

Rafi Fernández
1967-2004
Animador y productor de televisión

Adria Cruz
Columnista de Primera Hora

Sandra Cardona y Wanda I. Paniagua
de Eclipse Lunnar Corporation

Revista Colony
Publicación dirigida a la comunidad gay de Puerto Rico.

El periódico Puerto Rico Breeze
Primer periódico de la comunidad gay boricua.

Myrna Casas
La Primera Dama del Teatro Boricua

Afiche de Nuevos Tiempos
Promoción de la revista Nuevos Tiempos durante el mes de Orgullo Gay en Puerto Rico.

Christina Hayworth
Fundadora de la Parada de Orgullo Gay bajo el nombre de Herencia de Orgullo, activista y sobreviviente de Stonewall.

Rev. Margarita Sánchez
Activista

Pedro Peters
Activista y columnista

Mayra Montero
Escritora

Nuevos Tiempos
Notirevista LGBTT Boricua.

Mirtha Rubio & Nono Maldonado
Puerto Rico Fashion Designers Group

Dreuxilla Divine, conocida también como la Fashion Diva.

Keith Allen quién le escribió una carta a su nieto la cual fue publicada en www.advocate.com.

COA
Coalición de Orgullo en Arco Iris

Antonia Pantoja - educator and community activist in the Puerto Rican community and a founder of some of the nation's longest-lasting Latino organizations and institutions.

Virginia Lacayo - co-executive producer and director of the Nicaraguan telenovela Sexto Sentido (Sixth Sense)

Fabián Cardona - reconocido por el Sistema de Bibliotecas de la Universidad de Puerto Rico por su aportación a la convivencia universitaria.

Robert Rosenburg - Fundador y director del Festival Filmico Gay y Lésbico de Miami

Rosie O'Donnell - Comediante, actriz, y presentadora de televisión.

Sila M. Calderón - Gobernadora de Puerto Rico

Sammy es bartender querendón en Atlantic Beach Hotel...el lo sabe hacer mejor...

Raúl Torres es uno de los dueños de Maroma.

Gina González es dueña del restaurante Yerbabuena.

José Joaquín Mulinelli es activista y animador radial en Saliendo del Clóset.

Rafael Otero es Presidente de la Junta de Directores de Fundación SIDA de Puerto Rico.

Ineabelle Arroyo dirige el Club Sebastián.

Luis A. Pedraza González,  Director Ejecutivo en propiedad de la Fundación SIDA de Puerto Rico

Sus recomendaciones serán bienvenidas y pueden enviarlas a
comunidad@orgulloboricua.net

Entérate de:

Orgullo comunitario

Orgullo espiritual

Orgullo humorístico

Orgullo histórico

Orgullo investigativo

Orgullo léxico