Cesar Chavez Honored With Service Fair

 NORTHRIDGE, CA― California State University, Northridge will commemorate the life of the late labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez by sponsoring the first Cesar Chavez Service Fair.

Cesar Chavez

The fair is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Cleary Walk, in front of Bayramian Hall. The Department of Chicana/o Studies and Unified We Serve, the volunteer program at CSUN, will host the event.

David Rodriguez, chair of Chicana/o studies, said “Cesar Chavez was a catalyst for the development of Chicana/o studies. He is very important and inspirational.”

Rodriguez said Chavez was a very humble man who drew attention to the plight of workers. Chavez stressed nonviolence when boycotting and protesting.

“To remember him, especially in these trying times and violent times, is important. People have a right to protest in a nonviolent way,” said Rodriguez.

Cesar Chavez Day is a state holiday honoring Cesar Chavez, a migrant worker advocate and founder of what is today known as United Farm Workers (UFW). It is celebrated on March 31, Chavez’s birthday.

Justin Weiss, activities coordinator for Unified We Serve, said the fair promotes Chavez’s dedication to service.

“We felt the best way to do this was by providing service opportunities to our students so that they could embark on the same lifestyle that Cesar Chavez committed his life to,” Weiss said.

The fair will allow the campus community to learn about service opportunities available. There are 60 nonprofit organizations scheduled to attend the event including MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity), Volunteers of America Greater Los Angeles (VOALA), CoachArt, the AIDS Services Center, Empowered Community Services, Friends of the Family, Guadalupe Community Center, Heal the Bay, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Girl Scouts Greater Los Angeles, North Hills Preparatory School and Skirball Hospice.

The day also will include a keynote address from Cesar Chavez’s granddaughter, Natalie Hernandez. As the inaugural speaker, Hernandez will discuss her grandfather’s work, what service meant to him and the importance of CSUN continuing to host the event annually.