Replacing Hatred With Justice

Fransisco Espericueta - Youth Organizer

The youth in Salem, Oregon have a friend in Fransisco Espericueta. Fransisco works for Latinos Unidos Siempre (LUS), whose mission is the self-empowerment of oppressed youth and the molding of a new generation of activists. LUS works with youth in middle school through college age, giving them resources, organizational skills, but most importantly creates a family-like environment where they feel supported and safe. Recently, in Salem, a contingent of Ku Klux Klan members were petitioning the city to name a street "KKK" street. Outraged by the overt racism of this proposal, high school students from LUS organized a sit in on the streets of Salem, camping out and blocking traffic for three days, until city officials agreed to throw out the petition.