Gloucester County, NJ- Wilfredo “Wil” Rojas, one of the most identifiable Latino civil rights leaders in the Delaware Valley will speak at the Bright Side Baptist Church, 515 Hershey Avenue Lancaster, on May 5. 2022, at a Meet and Greet commemorating Cinco de Mayo. 5, between 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm.
According to organizers of the event, Rojas is no stranger to the Lancaster. He spent time in the Lancaster Young Lords and brought sensibilities to bear on the environmental effects of lack of trash collection and health crises that were reaching a boiling point across in poor neighborhoods in the country. Later, as an adult Philadelphia Prison System Social Work Supervisor, he attended many training seminars and conferences there. He also traveled to nearby East Stroudsburg University and Lehigh University to attend events his granddaughters participated in. He also owns time-share for over 20 years at Mountain Laurel Resort and Spa and supports the local economy purchasing goods and services.
The Young Lords staged occupations, takeovers, rallies, marches, and other forms of peaceful civil disobedient to draw attention to issues disparately affecting members of marginalized groups. They organized savvy media events with good audio and video, and headline grabbing news stories with strong “photo opportunities.”
In May 1979, Rojas faced a life-threatening “brain aneurysm” which required extensive surgery that affected his mobility. With the support and care of a physical and occupational network of professional, after being discharged, he went right back to work as a paralegal with Community Legal Services. He enrolled at Philadelphia Antioch University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in human services and masters in counselor education with Pennsylvania State Certification. Many of his colleagues like to say, “he may walk with a limp, but he doesn’t think with a limp.”
Rojas’ talk will focus on the origins and purpose of the Young Lords Party, and how their activism has contributed to the social, economic, educational, and political advancement of Latinos, women, and African Americans. Many former members of the group have gone on to become respected members of the media, faith-based leaders, politicians, educators, and leaders in their fields.
Working through difficult life experiences in his life has given Wilfredo Rojas a solid sense of values and a clear perspective on a challenging world, in which he continues to make a difference in retirement, after 24 plus years in corrections and lifetime of advocacy.
Rojas married Carmen M Marrero, a school psychologist in 1995. They have a blended family of 6 children, nine grandchildren, 5 grandchildren, soon to be 6. The adult children have produced college educated kids and Rojas and Marrero have their own biological children ages 13 and 15 living at home in a residential/farming community in South Jersey that is experiencing a positive demographic change.
