César E. Chávez
If César Chávez were still alive, he would be 81 on Monday, March 31. To honor his memory and recognize his birthday, César E. Chávez High School is spending seven days honoring the man and teaching students more about him. Chávez was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW).
“Bearing his name carries great responsibility,” said Chávez Principal Rene Sanchez. “As the only comprehensive high school in the state of Texas and one of only four in the entire country named for César Chávez, we need to teach and inspire our students with the words and deeds of our namesake.”
Chávez was a well known Latino American activist who used nonviolent protests – including fasting in 1968 — to bring draw national attention to the harsh working conditions of farm workers. The organizations he helped found ultimately resulted in better working conditions for farmers.
Continue reading →