Presente Cesar Chavez!

On Friday many of us celebrated the symbol of strength, courage, and influence of one of our country’s true heroes. March 31st was the birthday of Cesar Chavez, the country’s most famous Mexican American civil rights leader. The day is an official holiday in California and nationally a federal commemorative holiday.

In the 1960s and 70s Chavez, against fierce opposition, led a nonviolent revolution that unionized migrant farmworkers, some of America’s poorest and most vulnerable workers. His United Farm Workers (UFW) union sparked a national movement that initiated pride and solidarity among Hispanics and won allies among progressive activists, religious leaders, and liberal politicians across the nation.

In the 1970s millions of Americans boycotted lettuce and grapes and supported the UFW led “Huelga” in the fields, putting economic pressure on the powerful agribusiness industry in California to sign a collective bargaining agreement. For many of us, our first activist action was picketing in front of a Safeway store supporting the boycott.

Chavez used marches, nonviolent civil disobedience, boycotts, prayer vigils, and hunger strikes to transform each attack on the UFW into a protest movement, always gaining the moral high ground in order to win public support.

His legacy and gift to all of us are the thousands of activists trained over the years. Out of the UFW movement came key organizers in the labor, immigrant rights, antiwar, women’s rights, and environmental movements. They, in turn, trained tens of thousands of young people who are at the front of today’s progressive struggles.

Again, Cesar Chavez –  Presente!

In the spirit of continuing Cesar’s legacy for peace, and justice, and organizing for a more humane society, let’s all become PDA Sustainers. Let’s help PDA organize and play its part in the continuing fight ahead.

In solidarity,

Dan O’Neal for the PDA National Team