We are heartbroken by the loss of our beloved friend &
BRCSJ Board Member Emilio Delgado
We send our love to his wife Carole & his family which truly included us all
He will be missed but his spirit, energy, & kindness remains with us
As Emilio would say...
"¡Pa'lante!"
Please join us tonite as we celebrate the Life, Legacy, & Love of our amigo querido on this very special Social Justice Power Hour during which he shared so many beautiful moments with our community...
Truly a trailblazer both as the inspirational & aspirational Luis the Fix-It Man on Sesame Street & as an activist on the actual street!
Before playing the longest running role for a Mexican-American in a television series on the award-winning PBS children’s program, Emilio began his life in Calexico, California & spent his early childhood living across the border in Mexicali, Mexico & it was this multicultural background that informed both his activism & his acting.
He began his career in the Emmy Award winning “Canción de la Raza” & has since in his over 50 years of acting appeared everywhere from “Lou Grant” to “Law & Order”. He has also flourished on stage from coast to coast hitting the floorboards from the Golden State to the Great White Way, singing out from the Hollywood Bowl to Carnegie Hall, & serving as Artistic Director of the Barrio Theatre Ensemble of East LA.
At the same time he fought for Chicano rights & social & racial justice on many different platforms stemming from his early days with the United Farm Workers supporting Cesar Chavez & protesting against the Vietnam War. Emilio was a recipient of the Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, honored numerous times by the National Academy of Arts & Sciences, & in his home of New York City, they celebrated him on “Emilio Delgado Day” October 15th. He did charity work with numerous organizations including the Alphabet Rockers, Project Sunshine, 52nd Street Project, & Head Start & honored our organization by joining our BRCSJ Board of Directors.
As Emilioespoused atv the time, “I am so very inspired by the mission & community-building of the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice & how the diversity & cooperation that Sesame Street built is now being carried forth into the future by the good works of the BRCSJ. So very glad that Luis has found a nuevo hogar aquí~ ¡Pa’lante!”
Our very own Chief Activist Robt Seda-Schreiber added, “Emilio is an extraordinary addition to our Board of Directors at the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice. His representation as Luis allowed so many kids to see themselves reflected back from their TV's for the first time & taught so many of us so much about Latin culture & language. His belief in our mission & support of our greater community is just a continuation of the care & love he's shown through his career & his personal activism & we are proud to journey with him further on this inspirational path!”
Join us tonite in commemoration & celebration of our dear beautiful friend & stalwart ally...
7pm ET/4pm PT
Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice virtual HQ
facebook.com/rustincenter