The Humboldt Park and Puerto Rican communities gathered Thursday afternoon to unveil honorary street signs recognizing Rafael Cruz and Julio Osorio, two Puerto Rican men whose deaths in 1977 became a catalyst for change.
Cruz and Osorio were shot and killed by a Chicago policeman in June 1977 during violence that broke out in Humboldt Park after the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Police blamed gangs; some in the community accused officers of storming the park and beating picnickers. It’s become known as the “Humboldt Park Riots.”
The tragic deaths of the two men on a day that began as a celebration of Puerto Rican heritage fueled demands for justice and sparked decades of activism within the neighborhood and Puerto Rican community.
A documentary telling the story of the riots is set to premiere Friday during the 45th annual Puerto Rican Festival in Humboldt Park.
For Roberto Cruz, Rafael Cruz’s brother, the street dedication ceremony marked the recognition of a tragedy that changed his family and helped shape the community around him.
“The community came and helped my mother, and lifted her up, and helped me carry my mom back home,” Cruz said reflecting on the day his brother was killed. “It was a day that forever changed my life. My blood literally runs through this park. I thrived in this park. I suffered in this park.”
Roberto Cruz, brother of Rafael Cruz, holds up a street sign with his brother’s name on it on Thursday. A portion of California Avenue at Evergreen Avenue, alongside Humboldt Park, was named to honor Rafael Cruz and Julio Osorio, who were shot and killed by a Chicago policeman in June 1977 during what became known as the Humboldt Park Riots.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
The street dedication coincided with the first of four days of the annual festival, one of the city’s largest celebrations of Puerto Rican culture.
“Today is not just about unveiling street signs,” said Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th). “Today is about making sure that our history is not erased.”
Javier Vargas, a filmmaker who has spent the past decade documenting the true story behind the incidents and who helped push for the street naming, said the signs will ensure the story of Cruz and Osorio will never be forgotten.
“People will see it, and they can research and find out why the riots happened,” Vargas said. “It’s a token of something that happened that will stay there and not be forgotten.”
Vargas said stories about the unrest were a constant presence throughout his childhood, but he worries that newer residents are unfamiliar with that history as Humboldt Park continues to change.
“When I was growing up, people always talked about these riots and how a lot of changes happened because of them,” Vargas said. “Now the community is more gentrified, and people have forgotten what happened here in Humboldt Park.”
Newly erected signs showing an honorary designation for part of California Avenue alongside Humboldt Park. The signs honoring Julio Osorio and Rafael Cruz were unveiled Thursday. They were shot and killed by a Chicago police officer in June 1977 during what became known as the Humboldt Park Riots.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Jose Lopez, a longtime community leader, connected the dedication to the origins of one of the community’s most recognizable traditions.
“A year after this incident, this violent assassination, we began our parade,” Lopez said. “It was against this incident that we began the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade.”
That parade now attracts attendees from across the city who come to celebrate Puerto Rican identity, resilience and culture.
As families celebrated the unveiling of the honorary street signs, leaders said the dedication was ultimately about ensuring that the stories of Rafael Cruz, Julio Osorio and the broader Puerto Rican community remain visible for generations to come.
In 1981, the city of Chicago settled with the families of the two men. CPD Lt. Thomas Walton originally stated he shot Osorio because he thought Osorio had a gun. Investigation later showed Osorio was unarmed; a black hairbrush was found near him. Cruz was struck by one of the bullets fired toward Osorio.