Over the weekend, while many were sleeping in after a long week at work, thousands of others participated in the 28th annual César E. Chávez March for Justice. The march honors and celebrates the legacy of Chávez, a civil rights activist and Latino and farm labor leader who was instrumental in securing equal rights for farm workers.
The César Chávez Foundation explains that Chávez’s “universal principles remain as relevant and inspiring today as they were when he first began his movement.” Though the march might not have had the same focus as Chávez’s boycotts, participants knew this day was important, especially with the upcoming presidential election.
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, many different parts of the San Antonio community lined up at Guadalupe and Brazos Streets. Representatives from UTSA and other universities, non-profit groups, unions and political campaigns came out in force. Speakers and music began the march, and although the music ended at the start, excitement and chants rang through the air for the entirety of the morning.
“Si se puede” — Chávez’s famous motto — was the most common chant, a reminder that “Yes, it can be done.”
Over 80 people marched with the UTSA coalition, and one of them, senior psychology major Jocelyn Espinoza, expressed that “The March for Justice was liberating for me as a Hispanic woman. It was a time for me to reflect on César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, and inspired me to fight for what’s right, just as they did.”
“It was wonderful to see all sorts of sub-communities in and beyond San Antonio at the march. I found the collective sense of pride and solidarity quite beautiful. My outlook on the San Antonio community is far more solidified than it was prior to the march,” Espinoza explained.
For more information on Chávez’s legacy, check out the César Chávez Foundation website.
