(Mar. 26, 2019) — UTSA students, faculty, staff and alumni will join the San Antonio community this weekend for the 23rd Annual César E. Chávez March for Justice.
>> Register for the César E. Chávez March
The march, which honors the esteemed civil rights leader, is scheduled at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 30. It begins at Guadalupe and South Brazos streets and ends in Hemisfair Park.
>> See the César E. Chávez March for Justice route.
Chávez was a labor leader and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association and later the United Farm Workers (UFW) union. He grew up as Mexican American farm worker, who later fought for worker’s rights, and has become the best-known Mexican American civil rights activist. His community-based, aggressive but nonviolent tactics gained the farm workers’ struggle nationwide support. By the late 1970s, UFW helped improve rights for 50,000 field workers in California and Florida.
“It is important to participate in the César Chávez March because in the timeline of life discrimination of Mexican-Americans was not long ago,” said Marcos Villarreal, UTSA graduate student majoring in higher education administration. “In this political climate we still feel the need to march for equality for all of our Latinx family.”
“It signifies the history that our people (Latinx) have gone through and the advancements made by historical leaders and it is important for us to continue their legacy. This march is one of the many ways we can do that,” said Maira Jorge, also a UTSA higher education administration graduate student.
VIA will provide free roundtrip Park and Ride service for students, faculty and staff between the UTSA Downtown Campus and the march. Participants should meet in lot D-1, beneath IH-35.
Roadrunner Nation is encouraged to wear UTSA gear to the march and will walk behind the university banner, chanting along the route. There will be a presentation on the significance of Chávez’ life following the rally at the conclusion of the march.
