10:30 a.m. & 12:40 p.m. Tuesday in Sacramento

Cesar Chavez’s longtime aide and spokesman
at Consumnes River College & Genevieve

Didion K-8 school for UFW founder’s birthday

            On Tuesday, the day he would have turned 82, Cesar Chavez’s longtime personal aide and spokesman is the main speaker during annual Chavez Day observances in Sacramento at Consumnes River College and Genevieve Didion K-8 school marking the farm labor leader’s March 31 birthday, which is celebrated as an official state holiday.

            Marc Grossman, still a United Farm Workers spokesman, appears at 10:30 a.m. at the college and 12:40 p.m. at the Didion school as part of their yearly Cesar Chavez Day celebrations. Grossman will discuss Chavez’s beliefs and values, and relate personal stories from the 24 years he knew and worked with the UFW founder, including the origins of "Si Se Puede!" or "Yes We Can," the slogan Chavez coined during a 1972 fast in Arizona.The words have since been adopted by millions of activists around the world, including President Obama, who used them as the theme of his presidential campaign. Grossman will also comment on how Chavez’s successors are carrying on his work, including the UFW’s landmark AgJobs immigration reform bill now before Congress negotiated by the union and the nation’s agricultural industry.

Among Grossman’s duties with Chavez was serving as his press secretary, helping the UFW president with speeches and correspondence, serving as his personal aide, traveling with him across much of North America and advancing his nationwide tours. Until Chavez’s death in 1993, Grossman continued working closely with the legendary UFW leader on all his major speeches, writings and news events.

Who: Marc Grossman, Cesar Chavez’s longtime aide and spokesman.

What:Speaking during annual Cesar Chavez Day celebrations at Consumnes River College and Genevieve Didion K-8 school.

When: 10:30 a.m. at the college, 12:40 p.m. at the school on Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

Where:Consumnes River College Learning Resource Cntr. Rm. 104; Didion school gym.

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