Saturday, March 31, 2012

Today’s Video: César

March 30th was César Chávez Day, a holiday observed in several U.S. states in honor of the late labor and civil rights activist. Over 120 schoolchildren in El Paso, Texas participated in a march to remember the man who would've celebrated his 85th birthday on Friday, while more than 500 Chico State University students took part in several community service projects.

In the meantime, work continues on a biopic of
Chávez that will be directed by Diego Luna and will feature Micheal Peña, America Ferrera and Rosario Dawson.

Why is Chávez so revered that several activists and politicians (including a then-Sen. Barack Obama back in 2008) support making César Chávez Day a federal holiday? Some insight into Chávez's life can be seen in the following documentary video clip from the early 1970s focusing on grape farm workers seeking better conditions:

Online Sources - Chico Enterprise Record, El Paso Times, Hispanically Speaking News, Los Angeles Times

Video Source - YouTube via UnionSolidarity

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