In Honor of Cesar Chavez

March 31, 2021 - “From the depth of need and despair, people can work together, can organize themselves to solve their own problems and fill their own needs with dignity and strength.” -César Chavez (b. March 31, 1927, d. April 23, 1993).

César Chavez was a farm worker in California who dedicated his life to improving the treatment, pay, and working conditions of all farm workers. He co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, which became the first successful farm workers union in the United States. Chavez used principles and practices of nonviolence to bring attention to the conditions of laborers. He pledged his life to improving migrant camps while fighting against corrupt labor contractors, low wages, and racism.

Chavez’s birthday (March 31st) is a federal commemorative holiday observed in several U.S. states, including Washington. Many places are named after him, and in 1994 he posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Ellen Miles, Programming & Outreach Coordinator

March 31, 2021