LULAC Council 4568 Celebrates 30 Years of Service
- Feb 27
- 3 min read
By A. Govea
In 1995, Fort Worth was facing a surge in youth gang violence. Crips, Bloods, Latin Kings, Sur 13, and other groups were frequently in the headlines. Despite early denial from some community members—claiming, “That’s Dallas, not Fort Worth”—the rise in juvenile crime made the reality impossible to ignore. Once people acknowledged the problem, it became clear that solutions were urgently needed.Religious organizations stepped in, and the Boys & Girls Clubs launched the Coming Up Gang Intervention Program. I became involved in violence intervention work and later joined the Coming Up Program as well.I had been in Fort Worth for nearly two years after moving from the Lubbock area (though saying “L.A.” always sounded cooler). I had taken a break from my business career to pursue my long-standing interest in working with at‑risk youth. That led me to apply for a position with the
Tarrant County Youth Advocate Program, which worked directly with young people on juvenile probation.A large percentage of those youth were gang‑involved, usually in whichever gang dominated their neighborhood. When I asked why, they often said, “Either I join them or I have to run from them—and whichever gang shows up. My only choice is getting my A** beat by one or two gangs.”Looking for a Hispanic organization that could help support Latino youth, I turned to LULAC, having previously been a member and officer in Lubbock and Odessa. I discovered two adult councils in Fort Worth and attempted to contact them. This proved more difficult than expected. When I finally reached a local president, he was not helpful and refused to share meeting dates or locations. Later, I learned that the councils were either inactive “paper councils” or closed councils.This experience led my wife, another couple, longtime activist Pauline Valenciano, and a few others to establish LULAC Council 4568. Carlos Cordova became the organizing president, and the following year I became the first elected president.Once chartered, we agreed that our mission would focus on supporting young people and families. This commitment led us to create the first youth council in Fort Worth, which eventually grew to four or five councils at our peak.In the early years, our youth membership included a mix of students—some gang‑involved, others simply seeking a positive Latino‑focused group. My philosophy was simple: replace one gang with another—one that builds instead of destroys.
We also recruited school sponsors, including Felix Alvarado from Trimble Tech and Coach Uriel Ramos from O.D. Wyatt, both of whom remain members today.Our first major task was raising funds for a youth trip. The plan was to bring together youth from different gangs along with other students. We received support from the Violence Intervention Program. Our goal was to show the kids that, regardless of gang or neighborhood, they were more alike than different.We held several meetings with the youth to establish expectations and guidelines. Our destination was Austin and San Antonio, where they would learn about Hispanic heritage—and about each other. I’ll share more about that trip in Tuesday’s Part Dos. I’ll tease this much: my wife and a couple of the chaperones jokingly referred to it as “the trip from hell.”
End of Part 1.
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