Monday would have been Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales’ 90th birthday.
He was a boxer, writer and Chicano activist.
On Saturday, his family and community members celebrated his birthday and legacy at a library named after him.
Corky meant a lot to the community. He was known as the “fist” of the Chicano Movement for his talent inside the boxing ring and outside.
Gonzales was born on June 18, 1928 in Denver. He started his boxing career in 1944 and was quickly named the third-best featherweight fighter in the world by the National Boxing Association.
He brought that fierce energy to his activism too. Through the Crusade for Justice, which he founded in 1965, Gonzales fought for social justice for Chicanos in Colorado and the United States.
He focused his work on poverty, police violence and educational discrimination.
The event had old pictures, clips and family members talking about his impact.
“I remember him as a very loving father,” Charlotte Gonzales said. “He shared his love with everybody.”
She says many young people go up to her and tell her that if it wasn’t for her father, they wouldn’t have gone to school or had the life they did.
“He changed their life, he changed all our lives,” Gonzales said.
Corky wrote an epic poem titled, “Yo Soy Joaquín” or “I Am Joaquin”. It captures the Chicano identity in the 1960s during the Chicano Movement.
To this day, the poem is used in protests and classrooms.
Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center is hosting a birthday celebration on the day of his birthday, Monday. They will have a special performance and reception starting at 7:30 p.m.
