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Chapter Four A Cadre Party of Ultranationalism: The Rise and Fall of RUP in Colorado, 1970-1976 As the Raza Unida Party (RUP) was emerging in Texas in 1970, almost simultaneously it emerged in Colorado as well. Next to the experience in Texas, no other organizing effort impacted RUP's expansion as greatly as that in Colorado. Headed by the charismatic leader of the Crusade for Justice, Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, it became in many respects a coequal catalytic organizing force to that of Jose Angel Gutierrez's Texas RUP. While in Texas the Mexican American Youth Organization was RUP's predecessor, in Colorado it was Corky Gonzales's Crusade for Justice. The Founder of the Crusade for Justice and RUP Organizations, like political movements, are products of people. Equally important, however, is that both are induced and invigorated by the presence of leaders. In some cases there are several leaders involved, and in others it is the dynamism and charisma of one that stands out above the rest. This was very much the case with both the Crusade for Justice and RUP in Colorado. Although several leaders contributed significantly to the development of both entities, the charismatic leadership of Corky Gonzales set the standard. Corky Gonzales was born one year before the Great Depression, June 18, 1928, at a Denver hospital. His poor migrant parents, with a family of eight, worked the sugar beet fields north of Denver.' As a young man, he worked as a stoop laborer in Colorado's agricultural fields. While living in the barrios of Denver, he attended various schools and while in high school worked in a slaughterhouse at night and on weekends.> He graduated from high school in 1946 and attended the University of Denver for one semester. Determined to break out of the cycle of poverty, Gonzales Copyrighted Material THE RISE AND FALL OF RUP IN COLORADO, 1970-1976 81 relied on his talent in the boxing ring. He was good enough to be the third-ranking contender for the world featherweight title. In boxing circles he was known as the "king of the little men."} Gonzales's fame in the boxing ring catapulted him into the business and political arenas. From 1952 to the early 1960s, he became a successful businessman. During those years, he had a bar, a bail bond business, an auto insurance agency, and several other investments. He prospered both with his fists and his business acumen. Some would say he had made it.4 Gonzales's political career began in 1955 when he ran unsuccessfully for Denver's city council. He received much of his political training in the Democratic Party.In 1957, at the age of twenty-nine, he was appointed Denver's first Mexicano Democratic Party district captain. During the 1960 presidential election, he became the state coordinator of the Viva Kennedy campaign. His political success put him in the role of a Mexicano political broker who delivered the vote for those who were supportive of his agenda. In 1964, he unsuccessfully ran for the state's house of representatives seat in District Seven. He was disqualified on the grounds that he was ineligible to run for the seat, as he was not a resident of the district. Gonzales appealed but in the end lost the court decision.5 The year 1964 would be the last year he would campaign for a Democrat. Gonzales was also active in various organizations. In the 1950S he was a founding board member of the Latin American Educational Fund, the Colorado G.!. Forum, and the Latin American Research and Service Agency. He also served on the National Board of Jobs for Progress (SER, a major funding group for the barrios) and on the board of directors for the Job Opportunity Center. In addition, he was the president of the National Citizens Committee for Community Relations and a member of the steering committee of the Anti-Poverty Program for the Southwest.6 Drawing on his political and organizational experience, in 1963 Gonzales founded Los Voluntarios as a result of a case involving a young Mexicano who was beaten by a Denver police officer. With its newspaper, Viva:The BattleCry for Truth, the fledgling organization with some support from business and political leaders led the battle over the issue. As an advocacy organization for the Mexicanos ofColorado, Los Voluntarios became the predecessor of the Crusade for Justice. During the next three years, Los Voluntarios addressed a variety of issues, but it was...

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