1300 Southern Blvd.
Ca. 1920

El Maestro Inc. is a community organization focused on the social and cultural development of the Puerto Rican, Latin American, and Caribbean community of the South Bronx. Through sports and cultural activities and programs, the organization provides support to people of all ages and advocates for improving their quality of life. The center first opened as a boxing gym in 2003 by Fernando "Ponce" Laspina, an aspiring boxer who was sent to prison before he could start training. After Ponce's release, he became involved in education and social justice, and by 1987 he had received a Master's Degree and was a lecturer at Hostos University. While working for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), Ponce was hired as director of an afterschool boxing initiative in 1997. The success of this program motivated him to create his own, and in 2003 he rented a space at Elton Avenue and 156th St. Ponce chose the name El Maestro in honor of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos, the first Puerto Rican to graduate from Harvard University. Over the years, rent increases have forced the club to relocate to smaller venues. Their latest efforts have been focused on purchasing the two- story commercial building they currently occupy at Southern Boulevard. This, however, has not hindered the growth of the club's cultural work, expanding their scope of work to community engagement and education. El Maestro has become a stabilizing institution, helping to preserve and revitalize the local community. Photos: (top) exterior view of El Maestro. (bottom) Training session, courtesy of Place Matters.