They are dying slow, painful, cruel deaths in towns called cancer clusters, in cancer clusters like McFarland, where the children cancer rate is 800 percent above normal. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration programming highlights the youth in our community who every year interpret Dr. King’s words through an art, speech and writing contest. "The same inhumanity displayed at Selma, in Birmingham, in so many of Dr. King’s battlegrounds, is displayed every day in the vineyards of California," he said. Late that year, Chavez took another page from the King handbook with a high-profile stint in jail. The religious reformer and civil rights icon were born a half-millennium and thousands of miles apart, but shared many similarities, besides their name. Although Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez came from very different backgrounds, their success as leaders of the Civil Rights Movement bears many similarities in its historic development. Dr. King’s dedication to the rights of the workers who are so often exploited by the forces of greed has profoundly touched my life and guided my struggle. Martin Luther King holiday was first observed in January 1986. I only hope that we are worthy of his challenge. Just as Bull Connor turned the dogs loose on non-violent marchers in Alabama, the growers turn armed foremen on innocent farm workers in California. He learned how to successfully fight hatred and violence with the unstoppable power of nonviolence. Some people, especially those who just don’t care, or don’t understand, like to think that the government can take care of these problems. I challenge you to join the struggle of the United Farm Workers. The enemies of justice wants you to think of Dr. King as only a civil rights leader, but he had a much broader agent. Be good to them. These poisons are designed to kill, and pose a very real threat to consumers and farm workers alike. I have seen many boycotts succeed. When our workers complain, or try to organize, they are fired, assaulted, and even murdered. A struggle for freedom, for dignity, and for humanity." The United Farm Workers are dedicated to carrying on the dream of reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Many decades ago the chemical industry promised the growers that pesticides would bring great wealth and bountiful harvests to the fields. In our life and death struggle for justice we have turned to the court of last resort: the American people. Economic pressure is the only language the growers speak, and they are beginning to listen. Chavez became involved in organized labor in the early 1950s when he joined the Mexican American advocacy group Community Service Organization (CSO). The crop which poses the greatest danger, and the focus of our struggle, is the table grape crop. Drift with the wind, pollute the water, and are eaten by unwitting consumers. Our non-violent cause will give you skills that will last a lifetime. Thousands of people have worked for our cause and have gone on to achieve success in many different fields. We want to love our enemies. Our workers labor for many hours every day under the hot sun, often without safe drinking water or toilet facilities. Our workers are constantly subjected to incredible pressures and intimidation to meet excessive quotas. Cesar Chavez, on the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., emphasizes his argument about the need for nonviolent resistance. “We don’t need perfect political systems; we need perfect participation.” - Cesar Chavez. “Dr. And the people are ruling in our favor. Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr and Cesar Chavez all used nonviolent methods to make a difference. Cesar Chavez detailing how nonviolence works not simply as a strategy but as a moral princip le of the farm workers’ movement. The Central Valley of California is one of the wealthiest agricultural regions in the world. Martin Luther King Martin Luther King was an extremely inspirational individual, a humanitarian, civil rights activist in fact. But those same tactics did not stop Dr. King, and they will not stop us. These same pesticides can be found on the grapes you buy in the stores. We are winning, but there is still much hard work ahead of us. The civil rights icon met his end on April 4, 1968, while seeking victory for the Memphis' struggling sanitation workers. If I am stopped, our work will not stop. As Miriam Powel detailed in her 2014 book, The Crusades of Cesar Chavez, he became less tolerant of dissent and purged many of  UFW's leaders by the mid-1970s, a time when he grew enamored with a lifestyle community called Synanon. In honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.’s memory we also acknowledge non-violence as a truly powerful weapon to achieve equality and liberation-—in fact, the only weapon that Christians who struggle for social change can claim as their own. When Dr. King sounded the call for justice, the freedom riders answered the call in droves. We have no choice, we must stop the plague of pesticides. Unable to channel the CSO's energy and resources toward organizing the migrant farmworkers, Chavez departed the organization in 1958. In March 1966, with a rallying cry of "Sí, se puede" – yes we can – Chavez led supporters on a 340-mile march from Delano to the California capital of Sacramento. He sent me a telegram which said “Our separate struggles are really one. Please, boycott table grapes. But he said “If I am stopped, the movement will not stop. Like King, who was in Memphis for a sanitation strike when he was killed, Chavez spent his final days pushing for the rights of workers, a fitting end to a life of activism modeled after – and admired by – the great Civil Rights champion of his time. Dr. king was also radical in his beliefs about violence. My friends, if we are going to end the suffering, we must use the same people power that vanquished injustice in Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham. Dr. King challenged us to work for a greater humanity. The story of Chavez and UFW's success often ends here, but the battles continued as he struggled to control a growing union through temporary contracts and ever-shifting allegiances. Jr.'s most popular speech? The NFWA voted to join the effort a week later, and "La Huelga" – the strike – was on. The family went on to work as migrant farm laborers through California for much of the next decade, giving Chavez a first-hand lesson in the difficulties of a life spent working long hours for little pay, with injuries or illness capable of wiping out any hard-earned gains. ", A telegram Martin Luther King Jr. sent Cesar Chavez. If we fail to learn that each and every person can make a difference, then we will have betrayed Dr. King’s life’s work. Still, even if he wavered from his path, Chavez remained dedicated to the service of farmworkers and the union. In September, 1966, Dr. King sent a telegram to Cesar Chavez, who was in the midst of his decades-long nonviolent battle to free farm workers, Latinos and other poor working people from the bonds of abuse and poverty.. He co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) with Dolores Huerta in 1962, and quietly built a coalition of Mexican American migrant farmworkers through California's San Joaquin Valley over the next few years. My friends, today we honor a giant among men: today we honor the reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a powerful figure of destiny, of courage, of sacrifice, and of vision. My friends, even those farm workers who do not have to bury their young children are suffering from abuse, neglect, and poverty. Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. Now, even more urgently, we are trying to get deadly pesticides banned. I have a dream speech by Martin Luther King Jr. Si Se Puede! Published on January 16th, 2017 ... King had been a big backer of Cesar Chavez, the late-Sixties farmworkers’ organizer and one of the earliest campaigners against open borders. by Cesar Chavez These poisons cause cancer, DNA mutation, and horrible birth defects. The children live in communities surrounded by the grape fields that employ their parents. The Ramirez family knew about our protests in nearby McFarland and thought there might be a similar problem in Earlimart. Martin Luther King, Jr. after his assassination in For what we are doing is right. A struggle for freedom, for dignity, and for humanity.”. He welcomed it, and used it wisely. Two years later, another victory was achieved with an agreement that kept the Teamsters out of UFW territory. Pesticides have created a legacy of pain, and misery, and death for farm workers and consumers alike. The fields are sprayed with pesticides: like Captan, Parathion, Phosdrin, and Methyl Bromide. More than a half a century has passed since Rev. By 1975, as head of the union now known as the United Farm Workers (UFW), Chavez could count legislation among his accomplishments, as the passage of California's Agricultural Labor Relations Act gave farmworkers the right to engage in collective bargaining actions for the first time. "Our separate struggles are really one–a struggle for freedom, for dignity and for humanity." Our nation continues to be segregated along racial and economic lines. The reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. had more than just a dream, he had the love and the faith to act. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial calling for freedom and equality — and the fight for social justice appears to be far from over. These pesticides soak the fields. © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. More than 50 years after Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, his words … The labor leader turned the struggles of Mexican American farmworkers into a national issue, impressing the minister who had led the way in the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. was extremely passionate about nonviolence. He repeats the fact that nonviolence is more powerful than violence by appealing to ethos and pathos, bringing rhetorical devices into play, and using specific examples. Unable to save at this time. We have witnessed truckloads of grapes being dumped because no one would stop to buy them. Lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Cesar Chavez My friends, today we honor a giant among men: today we honor the reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a powerful figure of destiny, of courage, of sacrifice, and of vision. The minister peacefully delivered his message of racial justice until he was assassinated in 1968. The prestigious National Academy of Sciences recently concluded an exhaustive five-year study which determined that pesticides do not improve profits and do not produce more crops. In its midst are clusters of children dying from cancer. While other people talked about change, Dr. King used direct action to challenge the system. The children come into contact with the poisons when they play outside, when they drink the water, and when they hug their parents returning from the fields. "You and your fellow workers have demonstrated your commitment to righting grievous wrongs forced upon exploited people. He began his speech by stating that King “was a powerful figure of destiny, of courage, of sacrifice, and of vision. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, helped CSLC in 1957, helped to organise the March on Washington 1963 in which he presented his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech gaining his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history. The civil rights leaders had great respect and admiration for each other, but they clashed on some of their core beliefs. This is what we live by. The growers are under tremendous economic pressure. People like Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King, and Theodore Roosevelt changed human right for the better. According to chavez, what must people do to truly honor dr Martin Luther king jr? Cesar Chavez (third from right) and Coretta Scott King (fourth from right) leading a lettuce boycott march in New York City, circa 1973. One person can defend human rights by standing up for what they believe in such as going on strike, letting your voice being heard through speech and demanding equal rights. CNN asked activists and athletes fighting for equality in the Black, Latino, Asian American, Native American and Muslim American communities to reflect on King… In his speech, Cesar Chavez uses hypophora, pathos, and repetition to support his opinion on non-violence. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. Below are parts of speeches by Cesar Chavez, one honoring the memory of Rev. Just as Dr. King was a disciple of Ghandi and Christ, we must now be Dr. King’s disciples. The growers responsible for this outrage are blinded by greed, by racism, and by power. Our nation continues to wage war upon its neighbors, and upon itself. I challenge you to carry on his work by volunteering to work for a just cause you believe in. Tim Ott has written for Biography and other A+E sites since 2012. https://www.biography.com/news/cesar-chavez-martin-luther-king-jr-telegram A struggle for freedom, for dignity, and for humanity. My friends, the suffering must end. Three years later Chavez was in Yuma to help defend UFW against a lawsuit when he passed away in his sleep. As a result, grape sales keep falling. The prompt supplied contextual information about the occasion of the article (the 10 th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.), the identity of the author (Cesar Chavez, a labor "Our separate struggles are really one – a struggle for freedom, for dignity and for humanity," King wrote. The growers used their wealth to buy good friends like Governor George Deukmajian, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush. Just recently, the experts are learning what farm workers, and the truly organized farmers have known for years. Our nation continues to allow children to go hungry, and will not even house its own people. Three other young children in Earlimart, in addition to Jimmy and Natalie, are suffering from similar fatal diseases that the experts believe are caused by pesticides. Dr. King’s entire life was an example of power that nonviolence brings to bear in the real world. The government should, but won’t. Speech by Cesar E. Chavez (edited) January 12, 1990 Lesson of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. MY FRIENDS, AS WE ENTER A NEW DECADE, IT SHOULD BE CLEAR TO ALL OF USTHAT THERE IS AN UNFINISHED AGENDA, THAT WE HAVE MILES … Many people will tell you of his wonderful qualities and his many accomplishments, but what makes him special to me, the truth many people don’t want you to remember, is that Dr. king was a great activist, fighting for radical social change with radical methods. The civil rights leader realized the power in Gandhi's approach to standing up to oppression with "truth-force.". You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. Our union members went door to door in Earlimart, and found that the Ramirez family’s worst fears were true: There are at least four other children suffering from cancer in the little town of Earlimart, a rate 1200 percent above normal. King himself was impressed with Chavez's efforts, indicating as much in a 1966 telegram sent to the labor leader. He once stopped an armed mob, saying: “We are not advocating violence. The United Farm Workers are dedicated to carrying on the dream of reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. My friends, I would like to tell you about the struggle of the Farm workers who are waging a desperate struggle for our rights, for our children’s rights and for our very lives. He sent me a telegram which said, "Our separate struggles are really one. As demand drops, so do prices and profits. Read the excerpt from a speech by Cesar Chavez, "Lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." During my first fast in 1968, Dr. King reminded me that our struggle was his struggle too. And you cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. What, then, is the effect of pesticides? In his famous letter from the Birmingham jail, Dr. king wrote that “The purpose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.”. In public, the men were diametrically opposed. Photo: Michael Salas/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images. What we are doing is just, and god is with us.”. During my first fast in 1968, Dr. King reminded me that our struggle was his struggle too. Cesar Chavez. What is the popular phrase Cesar Chavez chanted while protesting? Again, the act resulted in a telegram from King, who wrote that he was "deeply moved by your courage in fasting as your personal sacrifice for justice through nonviolence," and saluted him for his "indefatigable work against poverty and injustice. Then, as if to show his dedication to "indefatigable work," Chavez almost immediately launched a new strike, over the growers signing "sweetheart deals" with the Teamsters Union. Copyright (c) 2021 United Farm Workers All rights reserved. The men who rule this country today never learned the lessons of Dr. King, they never learned that non-violence is the only way to peace and justice. Telegram to Cesar Chavez from Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a tireless crusader for the rights of the poor, for an end to the war in Vietnam long before it was popular to take that stand, and for the rights of workers everywhere. The civil rights leaders did not see to eye to eye, and their encounter lasted minutes. My friends, Dr. King realized that the only real wealth comes from helping others. I was profoundly moved that someone … Photo: Bob Parent/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. What is the name of M.L.K. For your safety, for the workers, and for the children, we must act together. So many children are dying, so many babies are born without limbs and vital organs, so many workers are dying in the fields. He launched another boycott of the grape industry in 1984, and in 1988, he undertook his first major public fast in years, drawing the participation of Jesse Jackson and entertainment A-listers like Martin Sheen and Whoopi Goldberg. Beginning with the Rosa Parks Lecture on Social Justice and Activism in 2007 and annually since 2009 with the Martin Luther King Lecture Series, the Division of Diversity and Inclusion honors these individuals’ tremendous contributions to furthering civil rights by brining national thought leaders to campus, who provide insight and … Cesar Chavez Speech Rhetorical Analysis Cesar Chavez was a civil rights leader and a labor union organizer who delivered a carefully crafted speech by acknowledging the perspective of his audience in order to vouch for the use of nonviolence over violence. Few people in the long history of this nation can rival his accomplishment, his reason, or his selfless dedication to the cause of peace and social justice. A few months ago, the parents of a brave little girl in the agricultural community of Earlimart came to the United Farm Workers to ask for help. I want you to love our enemies. learn his lessons and follows his examples with non violent actions. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez were known for their protesting. Their concessions included employer contributions to a union health plan and an economic development project. Born on March 31, 1927, near Yuma, Arizona, Chavez spent his early years at his family farm, until his father lost the property in the late 1930s. Dr. King challenged us to work for a greater humanity. The assassination of King in April 1968 ended any hope of the two leaders publicly joining forces, but Chavez did his memory justice, winning his five-year battle with the grape growers in July 1970. Recommended Annotation Visible only to you. These visionary African American activists were some of the most vocal agents for racial change. He just wanted people of all color to get along. Espousing the beliefs of King (and Mahatma Gandhi before that), he called for a nonviolent approach through peaceful demonstrations. During January, 1990, Chavez celebrated the holiday by giving a speech entitled “Lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King warned us that racism threatened the very foundation of our democracy”, she said. Consider joining our movement because the farm workers, and so many other oppressed peoples, depend upon the unselfish dedication of its volunteers, people just like you. Dr. King showed us the way with the bus boycott, and with our first boycott we were able to get DDT, Aldrin, and Dieldrin banned in our first contracts with grape growers. I have faith that in this audience there are men and women with the same courage and the same idealism, that put young Martin Luther King, Jr. on the path to social change. During a Martin Luther King Day speech in 1990, Chavez again used the imagery of the late Civil Rights leader to decry the use of dangerous pesticides in fields populated by his union members. Just as Dr. King was a disciple of Ghandi and Christ, we must now be Dr. King’s disciples. The time is now for people, of all races and backgrounds, to sound the trumpets of change. Proponents of nonviolence reason that the actions taken in the present inevitably re-shape the social order in like form. In 1978 a guy by the name of Cesar Chavez read a speech about how important Martin Luther King's beliefs were. And if you don’t join our cause, then seek out the many organizations seeking peaceful social change. My friends, as we enter a new decade, it should be clear to all of us that there is an unfinished agenda, that we have miles to go before we reach the promised land. We must learn his lessons and put his views into practice, so that we may truly be free at last. The American labor leader and civil rights activist co-founded the National Farmworkers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Cesar Chavez. As Dr. King proclaimed “There comes a time when people get tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of oppression.”. Seek out the many outstanding leaders who will speak to you this week, and make a difference. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez on Immigration. He sent me a telegram which said, Our separate struggles are really one. Today we honor a wise teacher, an inspiring leader, and a true visionary, but to truly honor Dr. King we must do more than say words of praise. I hope that you will join our struggle. Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture Series. We must meet hate with love.”, Dr. King knew that he very probably wouldn’t survive the struggle that he led so well. The women who work in the fields are routinely subjected to sexual harassment and sexual assaults by the grower’s thugs. The tipping point came in September 1965, when Filipino pickers on the grape fields of Delano, California, walked off the job due to poor wages and conditions. Answers: 3 on a question: Read the excerpt from a speech by Cesar Chavez, Lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During my first fast in 1968, Dr. King reminded me that our struggle was his struggle too. I only hope that we are worthy of his challenge. Martin Luther King Jr., a student of Gandhian nonviolent resistance, concurred with this tenet, concluding that "nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek."

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