NFAND Episode 23 - Elba Cabrera (part one), Puerto Rican Pioneer

Here In New York City, Elba Cabrera is an esteemed figure of the Puerto Rican diaspora. Of strong stock, with strength and honor, she’s of one of those people everyone here knows. Her sister, the beloved and legendary leader hailed as the mother of the Bronx was Evelina López Antonetty.

She personifies cultural legacy. She greeted me with homemade banana bread, coffee, and quiche, and then gave me a tour of her apartment while she went on about her paintings and pictures. Her eyes and times have seen much.

Episode 23 is part one of two, and this first part of our conversation plays unedited because is nuanced - history bits and in-between the lines…