Fresno State’s 16th annual César E. Chávez Celebration will be 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, in the Peace Garden with speeches by two top longtime United Farm Workers union officials and garlanding of the Chávez statue.
Tanis Ybarra, special counsel to the UFW president, and Sergio Guzman, the union’s organizing director, will speak about Chávez’s life and legacy. At its May convention in Bakersfield, the UFW will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding.
Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor, professor emeritus of social work education at Fresno State and longtime friend of Chávez, will welcome participants at the campus celebration.
Mariachis will open and close the activities, which include performances by Los Danzantes de Aztlán, Fresno State’s Mexican folkloric dance troupe. Funding is provided by Associated Students Inc.
The observance is part of National Farmworker Awareness Week Sunday-Saturday, March 25-31.
The other events planned at Fresno State:
- A blood drive sponsored by the College Assistance Migrant Program 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, March 26, in the Free Speech Area.
- “The Harvest/La Casencha” movie screening 6-9 p.m. March 26, in the Agricultural Science Building, Room 109, followed by panel discussion with farmworker children.
- Displays commemorating the life of the United Farm Workers founder and the campesino movement 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. March 27 in the Peace Garden.
Fresno State will be closed on Friday, March 30 for the state’s César E. Chávez Day of Service and Learning holiday. Campus and community members will participate in a vigil at 6 p.m. March 30, at the Chicano Youth Center (1515 E. Divisadero St.) in downtown Fresno.
For more information, contact Ambar Alvarez at 559.278.6097 or ambara@csufresno.edu.
(Copy by University Communications student news assistant Reganie Smith-Love)
Photos by Cary Edmondson, University Communications photographer.
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