Centro Legal de la Raza

What is their story?

Centro Legal de La Raza opened its doors in September of 1969 at 3827 East 14th Street (now International Boulevard), at the center of Oakland’s Mexican American community in the Fruitvale District. It was a joyful and collective act dedicated to creating access to justice. During this time the Fruitvale was a hub for the new and emerging Chicano Movement and became a meeting point where community members worked alongside students from local universities.

The numbers and diversity of activists who joined the cause was unprecedented. The collective power was visible in their commitment to empower those who were underrepresented or not represented at all. They were ready, willing, and able to serve.  It is within these dynamics that community activists joined forces with 28 young law students from the University of California Berkeley (UCB) who were willing to make long-term pledges of their time and effort. This work brought much needed legal services to the community and helped propel the Chicano Movement in the Fruitvale.