Born: October 28 1879, United States
Died: October 10 1922
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Luisa Capetillo remains an iconic figure in Puerto Rico’s labor history. An anarchist writer and relentless activist, she championed labor rights, women’s empowerment, free love, and human emancipation.
In 1905, during a farm workers’ strike, Capetillo wrote propaganda and organized the workers. By 1910, she became a reporter for the “FLT” (American Federation of Labor) and traveled across Puerto Rico, educating and organizing women. Arecibo, her hometown, became a hub for unions. She also launched her newspaper, La mujer, addressing women’s issues.
Capetillo initiated a reading program for women working long hours making cigars, likely influencing her feminist principles. In 1908, at an “FLT” convention, she advocated a policy for women’s suffrage, championing equal voting rights for all women. She is considered one of Puerto Rico’s first suffragists.
In 1911, she wrote: “Oh you woman! who is capable and willing to spread the seed of justice; do not hesitate, do not fret, do not run away, go forward! And for the benefit of the future generations place the first stone for the building of social equality in a serene but firm way, with all the right that belongs to you, without looking down, since you are no longer the ancient material or intellectual slave.”
In 1912, Capetillo organized Cuban and Puerto Rican tobacco workers in New York City and Tampa, Florida. She published the second edition of “Mi Opinión” in Florida and supported striking workers in Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
On July 24, 1915, she made history as the first Puerto Rican woman to wear pants publicly, challenging societal norms. That year, she played a role in passing a minimum-wage law in the Puerto Rican Legislature alongside other labor activists.