The DePaul Art Museum is presenting "Tengo Lincoln Park en mi corazón: Young Lords in Chicago," an exhibition that chronicles the history of the Young Lords Organization (YLO), a Puerto Rican street gang turned socio-political movement founded by José "Cha Cha" Jiménez. Through artifacts like Jiménez's purple beret, newly-commissioned murals by Sam Kirk, and a range of ephemera, the show traces the YLO's fight against displacement and for social justice in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, linking past struggles to present-day activism.
The exhibition matters because it positions DePaul University as an eyewitness to the events it depicts, with curator Jacqueline Lazú's counter-mapping serving as a form of confession, memorial, and apology. By blending history with contemporary art, the show challenges prevailing narratives about memory and justice, reminding viewers that the struggle for social equity remains urgent and unfinished.