In honor of Cesar Chavez Day, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Latino Student Union have collaborated to host two local non-profit organizations for a panel discussion to share information with students about the work they do and how students can get involved.
One of the organizations is Farmworker Legal Services of Michigan, a non-profit legal services provider that represents indigent immigrant, migrant, and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents throughout Michigan. The other organization is Migrant Legal Aid, another non-profit legal services provider that takes on cases involving the overuse of pesticides, illegal searches and seizures, unfit housing, lack of health care access and late or non-payment of wages along with providing education and outreach programs.
The event will take place on Wednesday, March 30 from 7-9 p.m. in the Chamberlain multi-purpose room in Niemeyer Living & Learning Center.
Chavez was a Mexican-American laborer and civil rights activist who dedicated his time to advocating for farm workers and fighting to improve their working and living conditions by making contracts with employers and fighting for policy change. He worked with different organizations to register new voters and fight racial and economic discrimination, eventually founding the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) in Delano, California.
President Philomena V. Mantella and GRCC President Bill Pink will be honored Thursday, March 31, by the Committee to Honor César E. Chávez during community events to celebrate the labor and civil rights leader.
Events begin with a social justice march down the newly named Cesar E. Chavez Avenue at 11 a.m.; staging is at the Cook Library Center, 1100 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW. The march is free and open to the public.
Chavez’s work had a lasting impact and led to the creation of the United Farm Workers union that is still active today.
