August 25, 2023
Dear PON Members and Partners:
We are saddened to share that Arturo Ybarra, founder of Watts/Century Latino Organization and PON member, passed away on 7/26/2023. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and dedicate this newsletter to him and his family.
Arturo Ybarra was one of those special individuals you encounter while on your life’s journey. He had a presence you could feel, not in a strong overwhelming way but in the quiet and unassuming leadership style that was his custom. We remember him as a quiet but strong force in the community who didn’t seek the limelight but did the work he thought was needed to serve the community in the broadest sense.
Arturo was a friend and colleague who supported many of PON’s advocacy efforts on behalf of parents who were insisting their voices be heard, sometimes in the Arturo Ybarra style and sometimes in a less patient way. Arturo knew no geographic boundaries. He saw the commonalities we shared not the differences that could divide us, and worked to build bridges and strategies around collective aims to support those in disenfranchised communities.
We will always be grateful for Arturo who stands among the giants in selfless community activism. He was, and will remain, a model for other community advocates, young and old, who know that advocacy work is hard. It can be complicated, emotionally draining and may require compromise. It requires active listening followed by an understanding of the other person’s perspective so we can move forward together to solve problems that affect all of us, perhaps in different ways, but we are all interconnected. In order to make systemic change, we must build bridges to unify differences based on information and education to make changes that benefit the entire community.
This work must include mutual respect, an open mind, passion, and relentless optimism things will succeed in creating a better world as people from different walks of life come together to solve sometimes persistent social problems. Arturo looked beyond what was happening in front of him to see the broader picture of the challenge before us and with his unrelentingly mild-mannered approach he brought people together to accomplish good things.
Arturo’s early experience with violence, imprisonment and torture during the Tlatelolco student massacre by heavy-handed government officials in Mexico City in 1968 was “a pivotal moment that ignited his lifelong pursuit of justice”. It also allowed him to reflect back often on what can happen when communities are prevented from engaging in the civic life of a community and when their voices are ignored by lawmakers or those in power. His mission in life was to make sure his community’s voice was heard, always. He was a man of great integrity who personified what it is to have the courage of one's convictions.
Watts/Century Latino Organization was the embodiment of who Arturo was. WCLO was much broader than its name implies and anyone who knew Arturo knew his organization was the voice not only for Latinos but for African Americans whose voices have been stifled or unheard for decades. In a period of demographic shifts and tension, Arturo took an unapologetic and principled stand for collaboration and solidarity.
Rooted in Mexican Afro-Latino Native American cultures Arturo innately understood the beauty and strength that grows from recognizing, understanding and appreciating the diversity each of us brings to our families, colleagues and communities.
His reflection, optimism and humor allowed him to leverage each of our strengths to bring about needed change in our respective communities. He has been described as a “beacon of advocacy” and he joins a small group of community leaders who have earned the right to wear that honor.
Arturo Ybarra received many accolades for his work over the years including the special United Under the Sun mural in Watts. But his most enduring legacy is the impact he had on making lives better – whether at the most personal level with a single individual or colleague or with the community as a whole. Over the years, Arturo was instrumental in mentoring activists in both the Latino and African American communities who today are working on critical issues such as housing, education reform, local environmental concerns and voter participation. These advocates learned from the best and are an ongoing testament to Arturo’s work as they model his advocacy approach to build and strengthen political and civic institutions to empower communities so they can be heard and participate fully in American society. Among these activists are members of the Ybarra family who generously shared Arturo with the community and who proudly carry forth his legacy.
May he rest in power,
Joyce G. Watts
Advisory Board Co-Chair
Araceli Simeón
Executive Director
