1. César Estrada Chávez March 31,1927 - April 23, 1993

2. Have you ever thought about where your food comes from?

3. How do fresh fruits and vegetables travel from the farm to your belly?

4. For Americans to have enough food to eat…

5. Farms require a supply of people to prune and cultivate the huge numbers of crops.

6. Without the help of farm workers, we would not enjoy many of our favorite foods….

7. Since most farms are huge, farmers need people to help harvest the fruits and vegetables once they are ripe.

8. Many fruits or vegetables (like these strawberries), must be hand picked, quickly and with care.

9. Shoppers expect their produce to be perfectly ripe, not rotten, without blemishes, and insect free.

10. During the harvest season, farm workers assist in the fields 12 – 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the hot sun.

11. Farm work requires heavy lifting, and exposure to toxic fertilizers and harmful pesticides.

12. Although we know pesticides are dangerous, farm workers are exposed to them everyday, sometimes without protective gear.

13. For a long time in our nation’s past, the government would not protect farm workers from unfair treatment or listen to their cries for help.

14. In order to improve their lives, farm workers had to find a way to educate the world about their unfair working conditions.

15. One American of Mexican descent, by the name of César Chávez…

16. studied and followed the non-violent teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and
Martin Luther King, Jr.

17. César Chávez helped to organize the farm worker’s efforts to improve their lives and fight for their rights. He taught them to organize a successful boycott,

18. when violence erupted, he fasted for 36 days to keep the peace,

19. and he led a 300 mile march to Sacramento for justice.

20. Today we celebrate César Chávez for his work in protecting those who provide us with fresh food everyday.

21. Although there is still much work to be done, we can thank César Chávez for speaking up for those who were and still are easily forgotten.

22. César Chávez, Co-Founder, United Farm Workers
“Every time we sit at a table to enjoy the fruits and grain and vegetables from our good earth, remember that they come from the work of men and women and children who have been exploited for generations.”
César Chávez, Co-Founder, United Farm Workers

23. César Estrada Chávez March 31,1927 - April 23, 1993
R.I.P.
César Estrada Chávez March 31, April 23, 1993

24. Supporting You Tube videos which coordinate nicely alongside the material in this Power Point presentation:
1) Excellent intro music for the power point (Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On?”) including visuals
2) Summary of César Chávez’s legacy and an excellent companion for schools participating in a walk-a-thon fundraiser on César Chávez Day
3) A short clip describing the experiences of child farm workers in the US today
4) An instrumental of "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby including visuals and quotes from César Chávez