Santa Rita Center, or Santa Rita Hall, is an unoccupied

church hall A church hall or parish hall is a room or building associated with a church, generally for community and charitable use.

at 10th Street and Hadley Roads, which was placed on the

Phoenix Historic Property Register The Phoenix Historic Property Register is the official listing of the historic and prehistoric properties in the city of Phoenix, the capital and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona. History The register was established on 1986 with the ai ...

in October 2007, which has the same eligibility criteria as the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. It is one of three church halls stemming from the three chapels of the Historic Sacred Heart Church. It was purchased by the Chicanos Por La Causa, non-profit organisation, in 2004 for $71,000.

Cultural and historical significance

Father Albert Braun believed that the Church should go to its people, and began constructing chapels in the southern and eastern sections of the Sacred Heart Parish, with the start of Santa Rita's construction on November 20, 1956, and completion in 1957. Parish sponsored community events took place at the center, including internally generated self-help programs, such as the Southside Catholic Youth Center, spearheaded by Abraham F. Arvizu. Beginning in the late 1960s, in correlation with the

civil rights movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...

, Santa Rita Hall became a focal point of the

Chicano Movement The Chicano Movement, also referred to as El Movimiento, was a social and political movement in the United States inspired by prior acts of resistance among people of Mexican descent, especially of Pachucos in the 1940s and 1950s, and the Black ...

, particularly with the incorporation of Chicanos Por La Causa at Santa Rita in April 1969. The Barrio Youth Project was the next movement to come out of Santa Rita, with a $2,000 pledge by Chicanos Por La Causa, an arrangement similar to the Southside Catholic Youth Center's support for the local Feria de las Flores. Valle del Sol was the last organization to come out of Santa Rita, catalyzed by a meeting held on December 3, 1970. These organizations organized the boycott against the

Phoenix Union High School District The Phoenix Union High School District is a high school-only school district in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is one of five high school-only districts in the Phoenix area. Overview The school district serves students within a area of P ...

from October 9 - November 2, 1970, with 50 percent of student participation, which led to systemic changes to end the discrimination of Mexican-Americans within the local school system. Just 18 months after the Phoenix Union High School District boycott, Santa Rita became the center of national attention because of Cesar Chavez's 24-Day Fast for Justice in 1972. The fast was initiated due to the Arizona Legislature's House Bill 2134, which restricted the formation of bargaining units for collective bargaining. Many national figures traveled to Santa Rita in support of Chavez, such as Democratic Presidential Candidate George McGovern,

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

Coretta Scott King Coretta Scott King ( Scott; April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who was married to Martin Luther King Jr. from 1953 until his death. As an advocate for African-American equality, she ...

, and

Joe Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

and

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

Kennedy, sons of Democratic Presidential Candidate

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...

, who was assassinated later that evening. Today, Santa Rita is owned by Chicanos Por La Causa, and the center is used for special meetings and events.

References

{{Coord, 33, 26, 18.8, N, 112, 3, 37.3, W, type:landmark_region:US-AZ, display=title Buildings and structures in Phoenix, Arizona Buildings and structures completed in 1957 Historic sites in Arizona Catholic church buildings in North America Chicano nationalism 1957 establishments in Arizona