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Remembering Cesar Chavez: Hero of the American Labor Movement

Remembering Cesar Chavez: Hero of the American Labor Movement

by | Mar 31, 2023 | Celebration, Blog

On March 31st, we celebrate Cesar Chavez Day. Cesar Chavez is a hero to many Americans in the labor movement. But who is he outside these circles? And why does it matter?

Cesar Chavez is one of the only Hispanic/Latino people nominated for a holiday or observance. While it is less than desirable that he is the only Hispanic person so honored, perhaps it also reflects the magnitude of his achievements.

According to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the largest federation of unions in the United States, Chavez was born and died in the place he lived to serve, the Western United States–specifically, he was born in Arizona. Then he served as a labor leader to unionize thousands of farm workers to fight against employer oppression across the country and passed away while visiting Arizona to negotiate a labor deal. Unionization is when workers or professionals join forces in order to form a larger organization (called a union) which is thereby used as a collective vehicle to negotiate, confront and bargain with employers when necessary.

As a powerful union leader, he led the unionization of an immense number of farm laborers. He was the chief organizer of the United Farm Workers, which challenged powerful grape-producing companies that exploited the working poor, especially manual laborers.

Why does this matter to employers? It teaches them to respect their employees, especially those least likely to have a place at the table. That is because they will demand a place at the table if they are denied one, and perhaps will take it for themselves.

This is not a negative. Instead it is an inevitability that the vulnerable will seek out equality, including forms of equality related to the conditions that they live or work in.

At GHEP, we believe that everyone is worthy of equal treatment. Human rights are fundamental and cannot be challenged. Therefore, as part of the social determinants of health (SDOH), we support the best living and working conditions for all people, socially and economically.

We also support the rights of workers across the world in numerous ways. For example, in our Public Health 360 class and for our employees, we welcome feedback and encourage work-life balance. This demonstrates how much we value the lessons from workers across the world and here at home. That there is dignity in work and the economic self-sufficiency that comes with work is at the heart of GHEP’s efforts on social determinants of health. 

Why does GHEP care about Chavez, specific to our organization? He is a BIPOC hero to us, someone bent on supporting the least advantaged and raising them up to the level of power they deserve. And why should you care about Chavez?

Chavez is an example of a BIPOC individual in the limelight who has made a palpably and intensely felt difference in the world. He made sure heinous treatment against workers did not go unnoticed and was corrected.

Celebrate Cesar Chavez Day this March through several possible ways. Explore relevant legislation, such as focusing on the minimum wage or protections for workers in dangerous industries, and see how you can provide support. Check out your local unions and see if your work is relevant. Finally, consider donating to GHEP so we can continue to provide programs that support the community and keep the fires burning after Cesar Chavez. Change is possible!

2023 Black History Month

2023 Black History Month

by | Feb 21, 2023 | Blog, Celebration

 

Black History Month is every February. It is a time to celebrate the successes and triumphs of the African American community. This year’s celebration recognizes the great battle against repression and disenfranchisement that surrounds Black Americans from the distant past and up until the present day. 

According to the History Channel, Black History Month, also known as African American History Month, grew out of “Negro History Week,” and was the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. The History Channel chronicles that since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.

Accordingly, the 2023 Black History Month’s theme is “black resistance.” 

Amanda Gorman, youth African American poet laureate in 2021, delivered a resounding and relevant address to the nation at the latest presidential inauguration of President Biden. One of her most crucial statements in her inauguration poem: “There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” Spreading knowledge and inaugurating positive new beginnings–becoming light and not forces for darkness–is the point of resistance. Resistance is not about aggression, though confrontation may sometimes be necessary. It is about supporting each other to create a distinctive force for change and to fight against the past.

Enough words!  Let’s have some music (as musically attuned as Gorman’s words are). Janelle Monae, the unbelievably prolific African American soundtrack creator, fashion powerhouse, rapper and singer demonstrates she’s an intersectional double threat. Namely, she focuses on LGBTQ+ pride and the strength of her black identity. She is shaping a positive sense of identity for all. And in 2015, she released a song to say the names of black people who lost their lives to police, humanizing them as individuals rather than letting them be statistics (“Hell You Talmbout”).

But black culture is not just pop culture. Dr. Dorceta Taylor, an African American, put the concept of environmental racism on the map. Author of two (academic) blockbusters–The Rise of the American Conservation Movement and Toxic Communities–Dr. Taylor is a giant of the environmental field who has reshaped the environmentalist and environmental studies landscape. Why should this matter to you? Because environmental justice frames the conversation of nature access and environmental health as an equity and civil rights, rather than as a “color-blind,” issue.

Finally, politicians have made the fight against oppression practical ever since it became possible for black people to get elected (mostly after the heroic actions of the civil rights era). The fruit of centuries of efforts even yielded the ascendancy of an Indian American and African American Vice President, Kamala Harris. Senator Cory Booker, an African American, perhaps said it best: “Hope is the active conviction that despair will never have the last word.” And for Senator Booker and others like him, hope is a crucial part of resistance–an antidote against painful circumstances. 

But other unsung heroes exist. Today, we would like to highlight GHEP’s  Family Tree Adoption Program participants and diaper program recipients for their small resistance. Rather than sinking to circumstances, our diverse client population opts for hope in changing their lives. They implement environmental justice into their lives by planting trees and shrubs, while diaper recipients improve their well-being and their children’s by collecting diapers from our diaper bank.

We hope this post has brought you hope and energy to do good work that will benefit the community. Enjoy your celebrations. What are you doing for Black History Month? Drop us a note and let us know.