Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales papers, 1930-2006.

Gonzales, Rodolfo, 1928-2005, creator.

C MSS WH1971

Finding aid online and in repository.

See digitized version at Gale's Latino Social and Political Culture and History: Perspectives on the Chicano Movement.

1930-2006.

13.5 linear ft. (14 boxes), 11 oversize boxes, 2 photo boxes, 1 oversize photo box 8 audiovisual boxes, 2 oversize file folders

77 digital files (42 MP3, 21 WAV, 7 MOV, 7 MP4); 540.4 GB

Organized into 11 series: 1. Boxing, 1946-1986 (Box1 FF1-45). 2. Bar, Bailbonds, 1965-1982 (Box1 FF46-48). 3. Politics - City and County of Denver, 1954-1968 (Box1 FF49-59). 4. Crusade for Justice, 1966-2000 (Box1-3). 5. Writings, 1955-2004 (Box3-4). 6. Activism, 1966-2004 (Box4-6). 7. Personal, (1848), 1946-2006 (Box7-11). 8. Restricted, 1956-1975 (Box12-14). 9. Oversize, 1946-2007 (OvBox1-11, OVFF 1-2). 10. Photographs, 1930-2005 (PhotoBox1-2, OVPhotoBox1). 11. Audio-Visual, 1969-1997, Undated (AVBox1-8).

Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales (June 18, 1928 - April 12, 2005) was a Chicano activist, poet, and former professional boxer from Denver, Colorado. After a successful boxing career in the 1940s and early 1950s, during which he was ranked among the top featherweight fighters in the world, Gonzales transitioned into community organizing and politics. In 1965, he founded the Crusade for Justice, a Denver-based civil rights organization focused on advocating for the Chicano community. He also established educational initiatives, including the summer Liberation School and Escuela Tlatelolco. Gonzales gained national attention for his 1967 poem "Yo Soy Joaqu̕n," which became an influential text in the Chicano Movement. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he participated in major political actions, including the Poor People's Campaign and the West High School walkouts, and helped develop El Plan de Aztl̀n, a foundational Chicano political document. He ran unsuccessfully for public office multiple times and remained involved in advocacy until his death.

Collection contains materials dating from 1930 to 2006. Correspondence, flyers, legal briefs, speech transcripts and newspaper clippings comprise the paper portion of the collection. Photographs of the Gonzales family ranging from the 1930s to 2005 as well as images of Gonzales speaking at rallies and meetings constitute a part of the collection. Ephemera includes trophies, plaques and Gonzales' boxing gloves and robe.

Gonzales, Rodolfo, 1928-2005 -- Archives.

Crusade for Justice.

Mexican American authors -- Colorado -- Denver.

Mexican American poets -- Colorado -- Denver.

Mexican American leadership -- Colorado.

Civil rights movements -- Colorado.

Political activists -- Colorado.

Hispanic Americans -- Civil rights -- West (U.S.)

Chicano movement -- West (U.S.)

Mexican Americans -- Civil rights -- West (U.S.)

Hispanic Americans -- West (U.S.) -- Ethnic identity.

Personal papers.

Photographs.

Correspondence.

Clippings (information artifacts)

Blueprints (reprographic copies)

Manuscripts for publication.

Awards.

Audiovisual materials.

Gonzales, Geraldine Romero, donor.

Corky Gonzales papers

First name spelling variants include: Rodolpho, Rodolfo, Rudolpho and Rudolph.

Contact Special Collections and Archives Dept., Denver Public Library, Denver, Colo.

Digital reproductions of materials in this collection are available electronically to DPL cardholders and in-person researchers in the Latino Social and Political Culture and History: Perspectives on the Chicano Movement (Gale) database.

Gift; Geraldine Romero Gonzales; 2007, 2008.

Gift; David and Bertha Portales; 2013.