Cesar Chavez Day

March 31, 2014 @ 11:00 am
April 1, 2014 @ 8:45 pm

Celebrate the legacy of Cesar Chavez by joining us at UWM for a panel discussion on workers' rights and community organizing. Our very own Chris Piszczek will be on the panel sharing his experience as a community activist.

Photo Gallery | 11am-2pm | Union Concourse
Panel Discussion | 6:30-9pm | Union Fireside Lounge
Free and open to the public

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.”
- Cesar E. Chavez, March 31, 1927 - April 23, 1993

Join us in commemorating the legacy of Mexican-American civil rights activist Cesar Chavez on his birthday, which is recognized as an official state holiday in California, Colorado and Texas.

Although it is not a federal holiday, in 2011, President Barack Obama issued a Proclamation declaring March 31 of each year as Cesar Chavez Day in the United States, and urged Americans to “observe this day with appropriate service, community, and educational programs to honor Cesar Chavez’s enduring legacy.”

The Photo Gallery will include historical information and educational activities, while the Panel Discussion will feature local community activists who will provide a meaningful opportunity for participants to come together and honor Chavez’s legacy and what it means to all communities of color today in the continued fight against social injustice. While Chavez’s work focused primarily on farmworkers’ rights, the panel will expand the conversation to the fight for food, healthcare, housing, jobs, education, political participation and social justice in general. The panelists will situate those issues within the context of contemporary Milwaukee.

For more information, contact Union Sociocultural Programming: 414-229-3894 / sociocul@uwm.edu.