“Me teaching people, it’s a blessing. Because you teach that one person, that person goes and tells his neighbor or calls her sister. And now we have a community rallying together.”

Frank Fuentes

Today we share the tragic news of the death of Philadelphia community leader Frank Fuentes. Frank Fuentes was a proud Boricua, Phillyrican, hijo de Macheteros, descendiente de los Young Lords, sangre Taina, hijo, padre, esposo, tío, abuelo and an organizing fellow with Mijente.

Mijente first met Frank in November, when he canvassed with his community to get the Latinxs in Philly to come out and vote. But even before meeting him, Frank was already a leader and advocate for Latinxs in North Philadelphia. This barrio has suffered from extreme disinvestment, plagued with gun violence, poverty and the home to one of the largest opioid epidemics in the country. 

Because Frank was a community leader in the neighborhood and had a vision for un Philly Bonito, in March he took on the role as Organizing Fellow with Mijente Support Committee. Frank understood the importance of organizing his community and that collective action could mean the difference between life and death in Philly.

Click play to hear his encouragement to fellow canvassers during the critical 2022 Midterms election:

Frank Fuentes dedicated his life to protect and help his family, and once he got to know you, you were family. He will be missed dearly. He is survived not only by his immediate family, but also by his Mijente community who continues to organize por Un Philly Que Será Bonito.