Cesar Estrada Chavez (March 31, 1927-April 23, 1993) was an American labor leader, community organizer, and Latino American civil rights leader who worked with the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) before it became the United Farm Workers (UFW) Union.
Chavez was known for his leftist views combined with Roman Catholic teachings and was involved with strikes against the producers, including:
- The Delano Grape Strike
- The Salinas Lettuce Strike 1970-1971
Cesar's activism caused controversies but also attracted support from people of many walks of life, including Robert F. Kennedy and other members of the Kennedy family. Cesar worked to ensure voting rights and to get more people to vote in elections to make a difference.
He was married to Helen Fabela Chavez and they had eight children. He died at 66 in 1993 and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994.
Appearances in media:
- He was mentioned in Stevie Wonder's song Black Man from the 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life.
- Michael Peña played him in the Biopic Cesar Chavez.
- Chavez was the subject of the documentary Cesar's Last Fast.
- The Simpsons episode "Hungry, Hungry Homer" has Homer going on a hunger strike inspired by Cesar Chavez. Chavez appears to him in a vision, only he looks like Cesar Romero because Homer has no idea what he actually looks like.
- Was the subject of one Great Minds Think For Themselves segment on One Saturday Morning and ABC Kids.
- He appears in an episode of Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, where he teaches Xavier, Yadina, and Brad about teamwork.
