Evelina's Theater Project
Who is Evelina Antonetty?
Known as the “Mother of the Bronx,” community organizer and education leader Evelina Antonetty was a driving force behind the efforts that transformed the Bronx from a symbol of urban blight in the 1960s and 1970s into a livable place in the 1980s. Founder of United Bronx Parents (UBP), an organization that fostered quality education and community control of schools. Evelina was a tireless fighter for education and human rights, she went from negotiating peace with South Bronx gangs to fighting for educational rights for parents and their children, instituting bilingual education and saving Hostos Community College to getting a Ph.D. United Bronx Parents became a model of urban grassroots organizing expanding to include a bilingual care center, an adult education program, and a youth leadership center, empowering residents to fight against the social ills caused by failed urban and economic policies.
On the project committee are Luis Cordero, Lillian Jimenez, Esperanza Martell, Elena Martinez, Eddie Pagan, and Sandra Rodriguez. We aim to showcase the life and work of “Titi” (Auntie) as Evelina Antonetty was called by her family and friends in a dynamic theatrical production for young audiences.
With your help, One World Arts Inc. can reach this goal and present “Titi Strikes Back,” a unique and original rendering of activist and educator Evelina Antonetty. Called the “Hell Lady of the South Bronx” by the NYC Police Department, she empowered parents who faced an 85% dropout rate for their children, ran the first city-wide lunch program offering jobs to gang members, and sought community control of the public schools. She fought to keep Hostos Community College open for disenfranchised students and unequivocally organized the community against the production of “Fort Apache: The Bronx,” a film that depicted Puerto Ricans and African Americans through deplorable stereotypes.
Featuring an all-woman cast, “Titi Strikes Back” features original music from Puerto Rico’s rich musical traditions and culture and contemporary urban music. Evelina will touch the hearts of the young audiences as she makes a major life-changing decision: return to earth to fight or move on to heaven. Ultimately, she wants to galvanize young people to fight for their rights.
