César E. Chávez, 1927-1993

Berkeley Celebrates “Si Se Puede!”

2008 Chávez Commemoration Home  •  Calendar of Events  •  Resources  •  Media

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The Chavez Commemoration Planning Committee, with the support of the City of Berkeley, the Berkeley Unified School District and the University of California adopted a flexible “commemorative period” rather than a single day to honor César Chávez.  In that way many activities can happen in the city without competing with one another. The focus of the commemorative period is on “service to the community” as the best way to honor the labor leader and environmentalist. Last year the committee adopted a environmental justice theme. This entire strategy has been advanced as an experimental alternative to a school or city holiday.

Key Dates in Commemorative Period:

March 20: Spring Equinox (beginning of the planting season), International Earth Day
March 24-28: Spring Recess, U.C. Berkeley
March 28: BUSD César Chávez School Day of Service & Learning
March 31: César’s birthday
March 31-April 4 Spring Recess, BUSD
April 22: Earth Day
April 23: 15th anniversary of César’s death

Community Events | School Events | City Events | Business Events | Commemoration Committee

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EarthTeam
César Chávez Day of Celebration & Service
Saturday, March 29th, 2008
10 am to 2 pm
Aquatic Park

Attention Middle and High School Students
Event will include habitat restoration projects, speaker, musical performances and free lunch
Contact: Trisha Allen, Restoration Program Director
510-704-4030
trisha@earthteam.net

SAN FRANCISCO
Cesar E. Chavez Holiday Breakfast
Monday, March 31, 2008
8 am to 10 am

Several individuals will be awarded the
Chavez Legacy Award

Mission Language & Vocational School
Latino Culinary Academy
2929 19th St.
San Francisco
$50 –
Funds help support the Chavez Holiday Parade and Festival
For more info: (415) 621-2665

Ecology Center
Celebrating Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers’ Movement
Friday, April 11, 2008

Come celebrate the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez. We will be screening the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation film "Common Man, Uncommon Vision: The Cesar Chavez Story" and "Immokalee: From Slavery to Freedom," which documents the current actions of a Florida union to end the inhumane conditions experienced by farmworkers who grow and harvest the food used by the fast-food industry. We will hear from a local expert or two on current food justice issues and information will be on hand about the movement today and current campaigns to protect workers and the environment. The evening will also include tasty organic snacks to accompany the film screenings!

Time: 7pm - 9pm
Location: Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave, near Dwight Way, Berkeley.
Cost: Free.
Info: 510-548-2220 x233.

Berkeley Public Library
Public Reading
April 14, 2008
3:30-5 pm
2090 Kittredge

Public participation reading in which the public is invited to read the words of César aloud at a program in front of Central Library – if raining in the 3rd floor Community Meeting Room.

Berkeley Public Library
Exhibit
April 15-28, 2008
2090 Kittredge

Materials related to Chavez, posters, and quotes will be featured. Central Library’s Exhibit cases facing on Kittredge and inside Central Library on the 2nd floor

SAN FRANCISCO
Cesar E. Chavez Holiday Parade & Festival
Sunday, April 19th, 2008

Commemorate & Celebrate the Life and Work of Labor & Civil Rights leader Cesar E. Chavez
12 noon - Parade
1-5pm - Program & Festival

For more information:
Call (415) 621-2665;
Fax (415) 621-5518
Email: CesarChavezDaySF@att.net
http://www.cesarchavezday.org/

BERKELEY
César Chávez Memorial Solar Calendar Project
Ongoing

• Homage to César installation
  In November, 2007, a Four Directions/Four Virtues
  Homage to César Chávez was installed at the Interim
  Solar Calendar site at César Chávez Park.
  http://solarcalendar.blogspot.com
• Interim Solar Calendar Tours
  During the commemorative period, the project director,
  Santiago Casal, will offer small group tours of the
  Memorial Solar Calendar site and of the new Homage
  to César.
  Contact: chavezmemorial@sbcglobal.net
  
• Chávez Park – Upgrade of City’s web page
  The project will work with the city to upgrade the city’s
  webpage for César Chávez Park. It will convert what is now
  a rather dreary and uninspired portrayal of César Chávez
  Park into the beautiful park that it is.
  Before: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=12102
  After: Coming March 20th
• Chavez “He Nurtured Seeds of Art”
  The project will develop a web-based gallery of art inspired by the United Farm Workers Union and the leadership of
  César Chávez. The gallery will be wrapped around an article written by Max Benevidez
  
  “Cesar Chavez died with an art book in his hands. This final image of the great visionary is appropriate and poetic — because he and his struggle for justice
  were intimately intertwined with creative expression by Chicano visual and performing artists. The veteran union organizer in him would have appreciated the death-bed image because Chavez intuitively understood the power of symbols.”
  
  CONTACT: chavezmemorial@sbcglobal.net
  
• “What César Chávez Means to Me”
  A new feature of the Chavez web pages
  Has Cesar’s example affected you in
  some way? Write a brief statement on
  how he has influenced your life and
  we will print it on the web pages at
  http://www.ecologycenter.org/chavez.
  A short paragraph is best, but longer
  statements are acceptable. And send a
  foto of yourself.
  Send to: chavezmemorial@sbcglobal.net

» S C H O O L    E V E N T S

Berkeley Unified School District
March 21st - April 23rd

MALCOLM X ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Student power highlighted Cesar Chavez Day celebrations at Malcolm X Elementary School Friday.

While youth activists across California rallied to close the state’s public schools to honor Chavez’s 81st birthday, Berkeley Unified marked the event through a day of learning.

Third, fourth and fifth graders at Malcolm X pedaled away furiously on a bicycle-powered blender to whip up smoothies during their cooking and gardening class Friday before going on spring break on March 31 (Monday), when Chavez’s birthday was observed throughout the state.

New Superintendent Bill Huyett is reminding all school principals and teachers that the BUSD César Chávez School Day of Service & Learning (March 28th) is one when our schools should resonate the history and message of this great person in our history.

Superintendent Huyett will teach in an elementary classroom, and will utilize the State Chavez Curriculum provided by the State Dept. of Education. He encourages us all to participate and enjoy this special day and period of learning.

The 2008 Commemorative Period is March 21 through April 23, so there are many other opportunities for activities, assemblies, service projects etc.

School Board Directors were also asked by the Chavez Commemoration Committee to visit their “Adopted Schools,” participate in the commemorative events and service learning activities, and to encourage the schools:

• to utilize the grade level & State approved lessons in each classroom
• to have a school based commemorations at each school on the Chavez Day of Service & Learning
• to engage the children in service to the community as the best way to honor Chávez.

Contact:
Mark A. Coplan
Public Information Officer, BUSD
510-644-6320
Mark_Coplan@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Univ. of California, Berkeley
Chicano/Latino Student Development

Celebrating César Chávez
Friday, April 11th
5 pm to 10 pm
César Chávez Student Learning Center

A focused event for 200 visiting new students and Center staff. The gathering will honor the
life and legacy of César Chávez. There will be
a keynote speaker, announcement of
scholarships, and entertainment.

A plaque will be added to a bust of César Chávez
that was commissioned and installed in the lobby
of the Student Center in 2006.

Contest: Staff of the Chavez Student Center will
imaginatively decorate their office doors in ways
appropriate to honor César Chávez. Winner to be
announced at the event following a tour.

Contact: (510) 642-1802, lupeg@berkeley.edu

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CITY OF BERKELEY

The Mayor and Council will:

• Consider the partnership proposal of the
  Chavez Memorial Solar Calendar Project. A public/
  private partnership would considerably enhance
  the ability of the project to raise private and public
  funding for the Memorial.
• Consider dedicating the ‘Homage to Cesar” at the
  Interim Solar Calendar at Chávez Park.

CONTACT:
Cisco DeVries, Chief of Staff, Mayor Bates
cdeVries@ci.berkeley.ca.us

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2008 calendar in development

» C H A V E Z    C O M M E M O R A T I O N    C O M M I T T E E

2008 Chávez Commemoration Planning Committee: Trisha Allen - (EarthTeam) Jesse Arreguin - (Aide to Councilmember Worthington) Alan Bern - (Community Relations Librarian, Berkeley) Joe Brulenski - (Teacher, Rosa Parks) Ariana Casanova - (Berkeley Alternative High) Mark Coplan - (Information Officer, BUSD) Beck Cowles - (Information Program Manager, Ecology Center) Cathy Campbell - (President, Berkeley Federation of Teachers) Federico Chavez - (Administrative Law Judge, Oakland) Paola Cubias - (Chicano/Latino Student Development, UCB) Cisco DeVries - (Chief of Staff, Mayor Bates) Terry Doran - (President Emeritus, Berkeley School Board) Tina Flores - (East Bay Farmworkers Support Committee) Lupe Gallegos Diaz - (Director, Chicano/Latino Student Development, UCB) Manuel Hector - (Sr. Management Analyst, Dept. of Health, Berkeley) Mel Martynn - (Teacher, Adult Education) Fred Medrano - (Director, Berkeley Dept of Health & Human Services) Sbeydeh Viveros-Bandera - (Aide to Mayor Bates) Nkauj Iab Yang - (Youth Together)