Cha Cha Jiménez.

José “Cha Cha” Jiménez, Chairman and Founder of the Young Lords Organization in Chicago, and Co-Founder of the Rainbow Coalition, passed away on January 10, 2025, at the age of 76. A pivotal figure in the civil rights and liberation movements in the U.S., Cha Cha’s legacy is defined by his revolutionary spirit, steadfast vision for Puerto Rican self-determination, and unwavering commitment to justice.

Born on August 8, 1948, in Barrio San Salvador, Caguas, Puerto Rico, Cha Cha and his family moved to Chicago’s Near North Side in the 1950s, settling in La Clark (now Old Town) one of the city’s first Puerto Rican neighborhoods. Discriminatory zoning and redlining forced Puerto Rican families, including the Jiménez family, to move frequently, uprooting their communities. As a result, Cha Cha attended four different elementary schools. During this time, he formed a lifelong bond with Orlando Dávila, who later founded the Young Lords as a street gang to counter the hostility towards Lincoln Park's growing Puerto Rican community. 

On September 23, 1968, under Cha Cha’s leadership, the Young Lords became a human rights organization. With the slogan Tengo Puerto Rico en mi Corazón (I Have Puerto Rico in My Heart), the Young Lords Organization (YLO) fought for Puerto Rican independence while tackling broader social issues like the gentrification and urban renewal of Lincoln Park—a deeply personal issue for Cha Cha shaped by his family’s experience. The YLO became a revolutionary force, fighting for the rights of oppressed peoples, challenging institutionalized racism and police brutality, and advocating for access to healthcare, education, and housing.

“I was inspired by Cha Cha’s political strength, his passion, and leadership. Young people followed him in awe,” said Tony Báez, a former student activist in Puerto Rico who moved to Chicago in 1970 and quickly joined the Young Lords, serving as their Minister of Education.

“There was something special about Cha Cha, this young man, my same age, and from the same neighborhood in PR, that made me feel I had to join him in the fight against a colonial and imperialist monster. He fought for Latinos in a hostile city and country, and wanted Puerto Rican independence as much as I did,” added Báez.

As Cha Cha’s political consciousness expanded, so did the collective consciousness of those around him, igniting a political awakening within the Young Lords that mobilized the Barrio. Inspired by the Black Panther Party, Cha Cha emphasized political education as a tool for cultivating leaders within the most marginalized communities. The Young Lords established free programs for breakfast, education, and healthcare, established community spaces like the People’s Church and People’s Park, and organized politically to engage city officials and demand change.

Billy “Ché” Brooks, Deputy Minister of Education of the Black Panther Party, described Cha Cha as a warrior who truly understood the essence of fighting for the People. He recalled an interview with Cha Cha published in the Black Panther Newspaper on June 17, 1969. In response to the question, “What inspired you to align yourself with the Black Panther Party?” Cha Cha stated:

“Well, you see, we're starting to realize who our people really are, who our friends are, and who our enemies are. As we read and studied about other organizations that are appearing now in the United States, we see and recognize the Black Panther Party as a vanguard revolutionary party. This is why we follow them.”

Brooks went on to explain that, “Cha Cha's commitment to engage in the ideological journey needed to fight for people in his neighborhood, fight against imperialism that colonized his people in Puerto Rico and the oppressed throughout the world, was a testament to Cha Cha and the Young Lords Organization's undying love for the People, who are the makers of revolutionary change.”

The Young Lords' affiliation with the Black Panther Party, along with their role in the broader legacy of the Puerto Rican independence struggle, led to increased state suppression. In later years, Báez reflected on how Cha Cha kept the movement alive despite the mounting pressure: “Even as the police, FBI, and government came down with all their might against the Young Lords, Cha Cha found ways to keep us together. Even when he went underground, he never stopped reaching out to us, planning strategies, and inspiring action. He never stopped believing in our ability to fight for a better world. He always thought he would return to the movement, and that together, we would continue the struggle for justice.”

“Cha Cha’s ferocity and dedication to Puerto Rican independence helped create a framework for our self-determination and shaped a politicized Diaspora for Puerto Ricans in a city that was deeply segregated,” said Dr. Jacqueline Lazú, longtime historian of the Young Lords in Chicago, and professor at DePaul University. She is also the author of two forthcoming books about the Young Lords: an anthology developed in collaboration with Cha Cha Jiménez to be published by Haymarket Books in Fall 2025 and a comprehensive historical monograph under contract with Duke University Press.

The Young Lords Organization in Chicago became the national headquarters, with chapters forming in cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee to expand their work. 

Cha Cha’s vision for growth included strategic solidarity, aligned with the Black Panther’s concept of intercommunalism. He was part of a broader network of activists and liberation groups focused on building solidarity among the most marginalized people. In 1969, Cha Cha joined forces with Fred Hampton of the Black Panther Party and William “Preacherman” Fesperman of the Young Patriots Organization to form the Rainbow Coalition, a working-class, multiracial movement fighting for justice and liberation.

Cha Cha’s vision for change extended into political power. In 1974, he became the first Latino to announce a run for Alderman in Chicago, opposing Mayor Richard J. Daley’s gentrification plans, reshaping the city’s political landscape and asserting Puerto Rican and Latino political power in a city that had often ignored their voices. In 1983, Cha Cha helped form the first Latino coalition for Harold Washington’s historic mayoral campaign and mobilized voters as a precinct captain to elect Chicago’s first Black mayor.

Helen Shiller, who served as the 46th Ward Alderman from 1987-2011, played a significant role as a volunteer in Cha Cha’s campaign. Alongside Walter “Slim” Coleman, she helped to organize the Intercommunal Survival Committee, a white ally arm of the Black Panther Party. She reflected on his profound impact, describing him as “a friend, a comrade, a teacher, and a leader.” She emphasized, “His leadership paved the way for the first Rainbow Coalition and for multiracial movements based on unity of principles, not just solidarity around interests. His fearlessness, friendship, and thoughtfulness will be missed.”

Throughout his life, Cha Cha’s struggles provided valuable insight, expanding his understanding of systemic issues and strengthening his connection with the people he fought for. In his later years, Cha Cha lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he worked as a youth gang and addiction counselor, a deeply personal role that reflected his own journey.

A lifelong learner, Cha Cha viewed everyone he met as having something valuable to teach. After spending a brief time at the old Waller High School (now Lincoln Park High School), he earned his GED before going on to earn a BA in Liberal Studies from Grand Valley State University in 2013, an AA in Business Administration from Grand Rapids Community College in 2017, and an MA in Public Administration from Central Michigan University in 2020.

Cha Cha dedicated himself to preserving the legacy of the Young Lords Organization by creating two significant archives at Grand Valley State University and DePaul University, ensuring the Young Lords’ history would inspire future generations. He and other YLO members worked with institutional partners to establish the archives at DePaul, viewing the university’s location in Lincoln Park—once the Young Lords' neighborhood before gentrification—as a symbolic step toward reparations. 

Cha Cha had a profound love for music and theater, recognizing the arts as a powerful way to imagine and communicate the possibilities of liberation. He co-created the movement’s logo and much of its iconography, wrote songs and poems, and contributed to plays, films, and exhibitions over the years.

In 2018, the Young Lords Organization celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a symposium at DePaul University, featuring a historic panel with Cha Cha and former Puerto Rican political prisoner and Puerto Rican independence leader Oscar López Rivera. In 2023, original and new members of the Young Lords gathered at DePaul University to celebrate 55 years of the organization. Cha Cha was honored by DePaul’s Center for Latino Research with the prestigious Public Intellectual Award. In 2024, a historical marker was placed on DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus to honor the Young Lords' presence and legacy in the neighborhood and in the city of Chicago.

José “Cha Cha” Jiménez is survived by his children Jacqueline Jiménez, Sonia Jiménez, Melisa Jiménez, Alejandro Jiménez, and Jodette Lozano, and sisters Jenny Jiménez, Daisy Jiménez, and Mirna Jiménez. He was a proud grandfather and great-grandfather and is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended members of the Jiménez family, a pioneering family that shaped Puerto Rican Chicago within the Lincoln Park community. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eugenia Rodríguez Flores and Antonio Jiménez Rodríguez. 

Cha Cha is remembered by countless friends, allies, colleagues, students and activists across the globe who shared his vision for justice and liberation. His life remains an enduring testament to the power of resilience, education, and revolutionary love.

Rest in Power, Chairman Cha Cha. Te tenemos en el corazón.

To honor Cha Cha’s life and legacy, consider donating to a local group or community organization that reflects his commitment to social justice, Puerto Rican self-determination, and the ongoing work of the Young Lords.