Rudy Lozano

From KeyWiki

Rudy Lozano (1951-1987) was a Chicago activist. He was married to Lupe Lozano, and was the father of Pepe Lozano and Rudy Lozano, Jr.

Education

Rudy Lozano was born in Harlingen in South Texas. He attended Harrison High School and later went to the University of Illinois at Chicago where he began to teach at neighborhood centers^[1].

Activism

Rudy Lozano was very active in the Mexican-American community. He had been a primary organizer of the Near Westside Branch of the Independent Political Organization. Lozano had been a long time advocate of political coalitions among Hispanic, Black and the poor working class^[2].

Supporting Harold Washington

Rudy Lozano played a big role in mobilizing Latino support for Harold Washington's 1983 campaign.

According to Rudy Lozano's son, Chicago Communist Party USA leader Pepe Lozano^[3];

In the predominantly Latino communities of Pilsen and Little Village, my father, the late Rudy Lozano was also a key ally in Washington’s labor-based coalition.

He was also a community activist and decided to run for alderman in the 22nd Ward, a predominantly Mexican and Mexican American neighborhood. Although he narrowly lost, Lozano was a rising political star and leader that advocated for multi-racial coalitions and worker unity. He rallied and mobilized the Latino constituent base to vote for Washington.

Lozano understood the need for Black, Latino and white working class unity, especially the importance of union solidarity among all workers including undocumented immigrant workers. Lozano’s independent and grassroots-based organizing, along with Washington’s mayoral victory, sparked a movement throughout Chicago’s Latino communities, which hardly had any representation in City Council. Washington’s victory galvanized the majority of the Latino electorate and soon new Latino leaders emerged as viable elected officials under his administration.

Harold Washington campaign committee

In i983, Rudy Lozano, served on the Harold Washington Campaign Steering Committee.

Harold Washington Transition Committee

In 1983, Rudy Lozano, Midwest Organizing Director of the International Ladies Textile and Garment Union served on the incoming Chicago Mayor Harold Washington's transition oversight Committee.^[4]

Paving the way for Obama

About 250 family, friends, colleagues and inspired young activists who gathered at the University of Illinois at Chicago June 2008, 25 years after Rudy Lozano's murder at age 31, to celebrate his short but influential life.

Several speakers, including former state senator Jesus Garcia and Ald. Ricardo Munoz (22nd), credited Lozano with fighting for improved education, labor reform and minority representation in city government. Many said he was a crucial ambassador in forging a relationship between Latino and black voters that helped elect Harold Washington as the city's first black mayor in 1983.

Ronelle Mustin, who was the chairman of Lozano's narrowly lost run for the 22nd Ward City Council seat that year, said Lozano's talent for uniting across racial lines would be equally valuable today.

"He would be able to pull together a coalition of blacks and Latinos as a strategic way to ensure the issues of health care, of immigrant rights come to the forefront as much as possible," Mustin said.

Richard Barnett, an aide on Washington's mayoral campaign, said it was people like Lozano who built the foundation for Barack Obama's historic run for the presidency.

"You have to have the grass-roots grunt work done, then you can have Barack Obama," Barnett said. "That grunt work was done by Rudy and other folks of that era. If you want something, you have to fight for it, and that was Rudy."^[5]

References