KIPP Poder Academy

KIPP Poder Academy is a tuition-free, college preparatory middle school in San Antonio, Texas. This mantra was meant to galvanize workers and inspire them.

In Spanish, “poder” means power/strength (noun) and to be able to (verb). “Puede” is one conjugation of poder.

“Sí se puede” is a term rooted in the struggle of working-class Latinos. It was the rallying cry of the United Farm Worker’s Union in the 1970s. Co-founders Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez adopted the motto during a 25-day fast in Phoenix, Arizona where they were trying to organize farm  ...