Renowned American civil rights leader César Estrada Chávez. Courtesy/NCLR
NHCC News:
The 22nd Annual César Chávez Day will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 28, with a march departing from the the National Hispanic Cultural Center and returning to the Center for a noon to 3 p.m. free family festival at the NHCC’s Plaza Mayor.
Albuquerque’s Recuerda a César Chávez Committee (RCCC), the organizer of the event, was founded in 1993 following the death of renowned American civil rights leader César Estrada Chávez. Founder of the National Farmworkers Association and subsequently president of the United Farmworkers of America (UFW), Chávez was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in America, posthumously in 1994.
The mission of the RCCC is to educate youth and community members about Chávez’ legacy, life and work, by promoting his universal values and his vision for a better world and by engaging communities in the spirit of service.
Besides organizing the annual César Chávez Day march and celebration, the RCCC gives two “Sí Se Puede” awards to individuals who have served their community in the spirit of César Chávez and union vice president Dolores Huerta, and hosts a César Chávez Day of Service and Learning, where local students engage in planting seeds and working the land and participate in a planting ceremony.
The committee’s community organizing activities also have led to the naming of the César Chávez Community Center and the renaming of Albuquerque’s Stadium Boulevard to Avenida César Chávez.
The National Hispanic Cultural Center, which is located at the intersection of Fourth Street and Avenida César Chávez, has hosted the César Chávez Day celebration since 2007. In addition to poetry, community awards and exhibits, food, and a kids’ corner, this year’s festival will feature live music by Nosotros and Keith Sanchez & the Moon Thieves.
The National Hispanic Cultural Center is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts, and humanities, and is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.
For more information about this or any other events at the NHCC, call Randall Gann at 505.252.6869 or e-mail randall.gann@state.nm.us.
