Pilsen Neighbors Community Council records

The Pilsen Neighbors Community Council (PNCC) is a non-profit organization, with a mission “to work to establish policies and practices in the Pilsen and Southwest areas of Chicago to bring about justice and equity by investing in the development of community leaders and pastors through leadership training and action” (Pilsen Neighbors Community Council website 2018). By collaborating with businesses, educators, the government, and the community, the PNCC works to provide better health and welfare for residents. The major issues that the PNCC focuses on are fair education, adequate health care, residential housing, voter registration, and immigration policies. Benito Juarez Community Academy represents a major accomplishment and recognizable testament to PNCC’s community organizing efforts. According to a 1977 brochure, “parents at the eight local grammar schools banded together - through a massive boycott of all the schools, demonstrations, and meetings - to get the city and state to build a high school in Pilsen” (box 21, folder 15). The PNCC also joins forces with other local organizations to host events, such as the annual Pilsen Education Summit. Fiesta del Sol, an annual summer festival that attracts over one million visitors that celebrates the food, music, and culture of Mexico and also serves as a funding resource for PNCC.