On César Chávez’s birthday, a rally with a strong message of non-violence
At the annual César Chávez March and Rally this Saturday, Richard Gonzales will be thinking about how the lessons of his longtime hero are still relevant today.
"It’s disheartening to hear students respond they know nothing about Chávez, the farm workers’ movement or the Chicano activism of the past," Gonzales, one of the organizers, said.
"I find it critical that we not forget the fight for school desegregation, decent wages, fair housing, respectful treatment, clean environment, voting rights. Chicano and non-Chicano students need to know that Chicanos were instrumental in pushing for laws and regulations to allow all citizens economic and social opportunities," he said.
Chávez, who was a union leader and labor organizer, preached non-violent activism as he fought to improve treatment and working conditions for farm workers. While the makeup of Fort Worth has changed since the days of Chávez during the Civil Rights Movement, Gonzales noted that his messages are still particularly applicable to Fort Worth.
That's why this year's theme of the march is "Stop the Violence."
"More recently we have seen violent confrontations between police and the African-American communities in Fort Worth," Gonzales said. "Palpable minority-police tension in Fort Worth still exists. In response, the City of Fort Worth seeks to improve community relations through the Race and Culture Task Force. The Task Force can take lessons from civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. and César Chávez on how to foster authentic community dialogue without violence."
Kasandra Fernandez, a co-founder of the local grassroots coalition United Fort Worth and a student at Texas Wesleyan University, will be one of the speakers at the rally. Her speech will talk about how activism in 2018 must be equal for all genders, races and generations. For her, this issue hits close to home.
"The Latinx community in Fort Worth has been targeted by the passing of SB4 and the Tarrant County 287(g) agreement," she said. "So, this march has come at a perfect time when our community, more than ever, needs to be reminded that the fight for la causa has evolved, but it continues."
Senate Bill 4 is a state law that requires local law enforcement entities to cooperate with federal immigration officials while 287(g) is a voluntary agreement that local law enforcement entities can enter into with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), giving officers the authority to carry out federal immigration actions after completing a required training.
This year the march will start in General Worth Square in downtown and end at Tarrant County College, Trinity River Campus, where participants are invited to view the documentary "Dolores" about Dolores Huerta, the activist and co-founder of United Farm Workers.
The César Chávez March and Rally first started after Fort Worth Latino activists proposed a César Chávez holiday to Tarrant County judge Tom Vandergriff in 2000, according to Gonzales.
After some discussions and a formal presentation to the county commissioners, they voted unanimously to make the last Monday in March the official Tarrant County César Chávez Holiday. The first march and rally was held in 2001.
César Chávez March and Rally
Saturday, March 31, 2018 at 12:00 p.m.
General Worth Square
9th and Main Streets
Downtown Fort Worth
This story was originally published March 29, 2018 at 8:13 PM with the headline "On César Chávez’s birthday, a rally with a strong message of non-violence."