The First Rainbow Coalition charts the history and legacy of a groundbreaking multi-racial coalition that rocked Chicago in the 1960s. Comprised of activists from the Black Panthers, the Young Patriots (southern whites), and the Young Lords (a former Puerto Rican street gang), this formation briefly united poor blacks, whites, and Latinos around common issues facing their communities before being destroyed by police sabotage. Building a strong, radical multiracial movement will be critical in a post-trump world. What lessons can we learn from the brothers and sisters who founded the first Rainbow Coalition.
FRIDAY December 4, 2020 7:00 pm CST
Recent Posts
Graduate Internship for the Organization for Black Struggle Archive Project
The Organization for Black Struggle (OBS) is seeking a summer intern to work with the team on a collaborative project with several partners. They include, but are not limited to, the UMSL Museum Department, the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO), and We Are St. Louis. The team will include interns working with our partners.
FROM PROTEST TO POLICY: The Struggle for Local Control Continues – 4/9/26
Join us for an important conversation examining the ongoing fight for community control and police accountability. Beginning with the police killing of Marilyn Banks, this panel will trace the organizing strategies led by the Coalition Against Police Crimes & Repression (CACPR) to advance local control and establish an independent civilian oversight board.
OBS Statement on March 2026 Youth Detainment
We are outraged over the treatment of youth last weekend by the Mayor of St. Louis and SLMPD. After incidents were reported in North City, South City, and Downtown on 314 Day Weekend, the Mayor put a 10pm curfew in place for Downtown the following weekend. As a result, 23 youth from ages 11 to 17 were threatened, harassed, zip-tied, thrown into SLMPD vehicles, and taken to a non-disclosed location.
Sign up for Updates
Organization for Black Struggle
P.O. Box 5277
St. Louis, MO 63115
(314) 367-5959 | contactus@obs-stl.org