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Jackson Newspaper Protest

Standing before or picturing Jordan Furniture, you might be surprised to learn that an earlier version of the New Haven Register, run by the Jackson Family, was once located here, starting in the early 1980s. In the 1980s it was often called the Jackson Newspaper Plant. The event we want to highlight occurred here on February 16, 1986. On that day the Register published a report they called “Americans Between Two Shores,” which they claimed would show the lives of Puerto Rican people on the island and in Connecticut. The reporter flew out to Puerto Rico and while there, he took photos. The photos taken were based upon the poorest parts of Puerto Rico and the reporter’s descriptions presented the community in a negative light. The article also portrayed the people as being satisfied with being poor and living in rough conditions. The article did not show the more modern or more updated parts of Puerto Rico. Nor did it address the reasons Puerto Rico was experiencing this poverty.

Once the report was published, many Puerto Ricans took great offense to what was said, and demanded they rewrite the entire article to make it more balanced, highlighting those who have left their poverty to create a life for themselves, and explaining the root cause of poverty. One person said they created a one sided view of Puerto Rico. “It pointed out a number of problems the Hispanic community faces but failed miserably to show our successes.” An entire community rallied together to make their voices heard by the Jackson Newspaper and the wider community. They called for the newspaper to switch out the initial article for one that is more factual. This protest attracted 2,600 people of all different ethnic groups who valued the same things. They shouted: “Puerto Ricans have dignity and culture Jackson: respect us.”

A Peoples' History of the Hill
  1. The Hill Intro
  2. Long Wharf
  3. Directions to Jackson Newspaper Protest Site
  4. Jackson Newspaper Protest
  5. Directions to Trowbridge Square Park
  6. Trowbridge Square Park
  7. Directions to Evergreen Cemetery
  8. Evergreen Cemetery
  9. Directions to Lee High School
  10. Lee High School
  11. Directions to Oak Street Connector
  12. Oak Street Connector
  13. Directions to Temple Street Congregational Church
  14. Temple Street Congregational Church
  15. Directions to the Green (Columbus Day Protests)
  16. Columbus Day Protests
  17. UPDATE: Columbus Protest Victories
  18. Directions to the Green (Occupy Movement)
  19. Occupy Wall Street Movement
  20. Directions to the Green (CT Students for a Dream)
  21. C4D Dream Summit on the Green
  22. Directions to Amistad Memorial
  23. Amistad Memorial
  24. Directions to City Hall
  25. City Hall - Elm City Resident Card
  26. Directions to New Guinea
  27. New Guinea
  28. Directions to Superior Courthouse
  29. Superior Courthouse - Black Panther Trials
  30. Stay at the Courthouse
  31. Superior Courthouse - Support for Corey Menafee
  32. Directions Back to Trowbridge Square Park or Long Wharf
  33. End of the Hill Tour