Using passion and theater as his teaching aide, re-enactor Fred Blanco on Saturday brought to life the late labor leader and Chicano icon Cesar Chavez.

  In celebration of Chavez’s birthday, which is March 30, Blanco brought his award-winning traveling show to the Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library.

  About 75 people watched the Los Angeles actor portray the life of the late Chavez from various aspects — from Chavez himself to his supporters and detractors, his fellow farm workers who he helped organize and new generations who are coming to learn about him.

  One of the audience members was Glenda Martinez, a Spanish instructor at Central High School. Martinez had the opportunity to meet Chavez on his visit to Pueblo in the mid-1980s and cherishes a picture she took with him.

  "It has such a special place in my heart because he was such a passionate man, a man of dignity and respect, and he never (abused) his position," Martinez said.

  Blending humor and sincerity in English and in Spanish, Blanco took more than an hour to take the audience through Chavez’s remarkable life.

  Chavez was the son of Mexican immigrants, farm      workers     who were exploited by farmers and who lived on their land in terrible conditions. Chavez organized the farm workers and, along with Dolores Huerta, the United Farm Workers Union.

  He led non-violent protests and marches and once fasted for 25 days as a political protest.

  In his civil-rights crusade, Chavez always used wit over brawn, even when some of his followers would’ve preferred the latter.

  Chavez’s efforts set off a social movement on many fronts, Blanco explained — Chicano, labor, civil rights, art and theater.

  "He stuck up for Mexicanos , for young people. He stood up for people, ese," Blanco told the crowd.