Event honors accomplishments of labor leader Cesar Chavez
The seventh-grader from Agnes Stewart Middle School stepped to the microphone in front of about 300 people Thursday night at the middle school and performed a song as part of Springfield’s sixth annual celebration honoring the life of Chavez, who led a crusade for farmworkers’ rights.
“When I was singing I was getting used to (the nerves),” said Solares, who performed “Cielito Lindo,” before sharing the stage with fellow Agnes students Jazmin Solares, her cousin, and Hilda Reyes for a rendition of “We Shall Overcome.”
She said the songs were appropriate because they showed “what Chavez did and how he helped immigrants and how kind he was.”
The celebration, put on by the Springfield Alliance for Equality and Respect, was to honor the birthday of Chavez, which was March 31. The entire celebration was presented in both English and Spanish.
“We are celebrating one of my favorite heroes in the whole world in Cesar Chavez,” said Springfield Superintendent Nancy Golden, who welcomed the community members, parents and students in attendance. “It is so deserving for us to celebrate what he did to make things right for so many of our workers.”
The event was emceed by Yesenia Garcia and Angie Perez, members of the Multicultural Student Union at Springfield High School.
The two girls began the student-led portion of the festivities by delivering a speech written by Garcia, explaining Chavez’s accomplishments and impact.
Garcia said Chavez was not allowed to attend high school, so he became a migrant farm worker. Later, she said, he formed the United Farm Workers Union, an organization that fought for better work conditions and equal pay.
“For their flag’s symbol, he chose the Aztec eagle because it means pride, and when people see it they think ‘dignity,’ ” Garcia said.
Later in the festivities, more than 20 students from Maple and Guy Lee elementary schools marched to the stage singing, where they shared poetry written to honor Chavez.
One student, 8-year-old Jorge Leon, said his poem was about a migrant farmer who operated a cherry stand. He said that he was proud to honor Chavez, “because he was the kind of man who cared about people.”
“He wanted things to be fair,” Leon added.
Marion Malcolm, the director of SAfER and the event’s lead organizer, set up a petition for attendees to sign asking the president to recognize Cesar Chavez with a national holiday. California is the only state that honors Chavez with a holiday.
“It takes time to have something like that recognized,” Malcolm said. “I think it’s important that not all of our heroes are white men. There’s leadership coming from other communities.”
Golden said she was proud to be part of the event, but that it served a purpose that extended beyond the evening’s festivities.“It’s not only a celebration, but a call to action,” she said. “It reminds us that we aren’t done with social justice.”
The evening also included a ballet presentation, the honoring of Rebeca Urhausen as SAfER’s leader of the year and the Springfield High mariachi band.
When Garcia closed her speech, she said that Chavez left the world better than he found it.
“That is why whenever his name is pronounced, the importance of his work will never vanish away,” she said.