Real Great Society

The Real Great Society (RGS) was founded by Puerto Rican activists Angelo Gonzalez and Carlos ‘Chino’ Garcia in the Lower East Side and later opened a second branch in East Harlem. They organized in response to the major urban renewal proposals alongside students and graduates of Columbia University. RGS incorporated Paul Davidoff’s ‘advocacy planning’ to encourage an intersectional approach to city policy, which resulted in the first minority board member appointed to the New York City Planning Commission.