Domingo Garcia (activist)

'Domingo Garcia was the executive director of the Ibero-American Action League(IBERO) and the Black School Reorganization with representatives from schools. He was a victim of police brutality and saw that he needed to fight for the rights of his community. He had joined IBERO and moved his way up to a chairman, and later succeeding Emilio Serrano as president and CEO of the Ibero-American Investors Corp. on May 1, 1998.
== Early life ==
=== Childhood ===
Domingo Garcia was the son of a sugar cane mill laborer, and when the mills had close in his town his father had to looked for work. Soon his father had noticed an advertisement for those who wanted to find jobs in American farms. His father had signed up and was shipped with 45 other people heading towards Marion, New York in 1948 to work in the migrant camps. Only staying for 2-3 months with his father unable to put up with the living conditions, he had left and taken a Greyhound Lines|Greyhound bus to Rochester, New York. He later met a friend at the bus station who was able to get him a job as a dishwasher at the Seneca hotel which is now Midtown Plaza (Rochester, New York)|Midtown Plaza. When Domingo was 9 years old his father after a year of saving money he had flown in Domingo and his older brother to America. Being unable to speak English had held him back to the first grade when he was on a third grade level back in Puerto Rico.
== Military and career ==
Domingo states his initial call to fight for rights came when he was made a victim of police brutality. Recalled to service twice due to the Berlin Crisis of 1961|Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis. While at home on leave during his last recall during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He had attended a friends wedding at a café, and while waiting for his friends a policeman in his car had pulled next to Domingo and asked him to move. He refused to comply stating in a interview "I told him I wasn't doing anything and he got out of the car and he punched me and knocked me to the ground." Domingo had gotten back up punched the officer. After the officer was knocked down he risen and left in his car while Domingo continued into the restaurant after watching him leave. His friend had arrived in time to witness this, and asked Domingo what had happened. Explaining his recent incident they had walked in and was warned that the policeman would return, and if he were to stay he would need to run out of the backdoor to evade the police. 20 minutes later the policeman had arrived and surrounding the building with backup. Domingo had ran out the backdoor but was unsuccessful due to the premise completely being closed in on by police cabs. He was taken in but instead of being book he was taken to basement and beaten by four policemen. One had stood at the door to block his exit while being restrained by two other policemen on each arm. The one who had initially punched Domingo at the restaurant had started to beat him until he had fell unconscious. Waking up in jail with bruises and other injuries he had found that he was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing the sidewalk, Not having a lawyer and his parents being unable to afford one for him he was left with these charges and sent to court. During his case the judge had asked Domingo if he had a lawyer he had responded no. After his response a young Wilmer Patlow had stated that he would defend him in his case. Domingo had responded to him saying that he had no money to pay him, and Patlow had told him that he didn't need to. Going through the trial the judge had stated that it was ridiculous that Domingo was being charged and dropped the case entirely.
Domingo had started to create a network in the community to fight against inequality. He was sought out due to his proficiency in the English language, and began acting as a translator to other community members for those who could still not speak English. He later helped in the founding of the IBERO and started to engage with other various organizations such as the National Puerto Rican Coalition, Action for a Better Community, and the Black School Reorganization while working with the school board of Rochester, New York.
Category:Chief executive officers