José Orlando Ruíz (1950-2006)
Founder of EBLO was a Puerto Rican community activist who passed on leaving a 27 year legacy of community service and tireless dedication to Hispanic people and culture. Born in New York’s Lower East side in 1950, Jose learned early the importance of education and hard work. His first job at 10 was as a shoe shine boy on 14th St., where he learned to work fast and talk faster. As a teenager, José worked with the grassroots community group “Real Great Society” where he developed his skills as an organizer, negotiator and advocate for Latino people.
Throughout his life he was surrounded by the sounds of Latin music; Salsa, Danzon, Merengue, Boogaloo, Latin Soul and Jazz. In the streets where he played congas he learned to display his Puerto Rican pride with joy and passion. His strong family ties with roots in Puerto Rico gave him a solid sense of the importance of determination and love as motivators for social activism.
In 1979, Jose moved to Baltimore and it was there that he realized that volunteerism was essential to improving the lives of Latinos and also that working as a public servant would be his path to making positive change in the Latino community a reality. Throughout is public career, José maintained a high degree of integrity and always worked to find common ground between individuals, groups and communities. His passion and dedication to community service is evidenced by his many accomplishments and by the countless people whose lives were improved by his commitment to social activism and promotion of Latino culture. A life lived passionately with humor, creativity, love, humility, and service….
Accomplishments
• Created position and was appointed as the First Hispanic Liaison to Mayor Schaeffer in 1979
• Initiated and organized first Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Hispanic Affairs in1980
• Appointed as Director of the Governor Commission on Hispanic Affairs in 1988
• Founded EBLO: Education-Based Latino Outreach 1980, First director of this non-profit Hispanic institution that provides educational and cultural programs to children, youth and adults in the Hispanic community.
• Organized and produced first LatinoFest 1980, held annually as the primary fundraising event for EBLO featuring music, dancing and cuisine celebrating Hispanic culture and art
• Founder/Producer/Host of “Fiesta Musical” begun in 1997, Baltimore’s first bilingual Latin Music radio program on Morgan State University, Public Radio WEAA 88.9 FM Tuesdays from 8pm -12m
• Organized and produced first La Plaza Hispana in 2000 a celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month sponsored by EBLO in partnership with Fells Point Preservation Society
• Organized the first bilingual Hispanic/Latino Business Summit in 2000 a collaboration with The Small Business Administration
• Organized the first partnership with the NAACP and the Hispanic and Korean communities to increase awareness of the importance of improving race relations within Baltimore’s ethnic communities in 2000
• Initiated the first Hispanic Business Roundtable bringing together all the Hispanic business groups of Baltimore and surrounding counties to develop networks, create business, and increase opportunities for Hispanic businesses in 2001
• Developed and organized first Bilingual Home-buying Workshop “Buying into Baltimore” in collaboration with FannieMae in 2001.
• Named Hispanic of the Year 2001 by the Hispanic Business Association of Baltimore
• Named 2003 Maryland Small Business Advocate of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration Baltimore District Office
Appointments:
Baltimore City Community Relations Commission
Salvation Army Advisory Board
Sail Baltimore Board of Directors
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