Back in 1970, according to the then head of pediatrics, children got lead poisoning while hospitalized at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx. That and rats in the emergency room are only a couple of the indicators dramatizing just how neglected the public hospital was. Times have changed however, partly because of the Young Lords takeover of Lincoln in July 1970. With the help of nurses and doctors, the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican group similar to the Black Panthers, barricaded the doors and took over the hospital for 24 hours. Listen now to WNYC radio’s Amanda Aronczyk to hear how the stand-off ended and what the confrontation won for the South Bronx.

(h/t WNYC Radio)