La Causa Sigue: 26th Annual Cesar Chavez March for Justice Set for March 26
March 1, 2022 - San Antonio
The cause continues. Cesar Chavez, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, speaks at a rally in 1977. Photo: Cathy Murphy.
By Jade Esteban Estrada, Co-Editor | San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- On Monday, Mayor Nirenberg joined community leaders to announce plans for the 26th annual Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice, scheduled for Saturday, March 26
- March 31 will be a paid City holiday in observance of Chavez's birthday
On Monday, Mayor Ron Nirenberg joined community leaders to announce plans for the 26th annual Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice, scheduled for Saturday, March 26. While the Covid-19 pandemic forced organizers to postpone the event in 2020 and 2021, this year’s march expects to bring thousands of San Antonians to walk in honor of the legacy of Cesar E. Chavez, the celebrated humanitarian and civil rights leader who advocated for Latinos and working families.
Produced by the Cesar E. Chavez Legacy and Educational Foundation (CECLEF) in San Antonio, the annual event traditionally draws thousands of individuals and community groups from all backgrounds for a two-mile trek through the heart of the city. Participants gather at the corner of Brazos and Guadalupe Streets near the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and make their way toward Hemisfair Park. Led by this year’s Grand Marshal and First Lady of San Antonio Erika Prosper Nirenberg, the march will step off at 10 a.m.
“This year’s march is especially important as we prepare to celebrate the first Cesar Chavez Day in San Antonio later this month,” said Nirenberg.
Set for March 31, City Council voted to observe Chavez’s birthday as a paid City holiday last September.
“San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the country and the second-largest city in Texas with majority Latino community, so recognizing March 31 as an official holiday not only honors the lifelong work of a great Latino leader, but also honors the importance of culture and history of so many of our residents and families,” the mayor added.
To further recognize farm workers as essential workers and underscore the awareness of food disparities, participants are encouraged to bring canned goods to the march to support the Yes We CAN food drive. Generous parties may drop canned goods in a red bin, which will be placed at the beginning of the march route. The collected items will be donated to the San Antonio Food Bank.
“The pandemic has made it challenging for our community to gather together, but it has also made us stronger because we’ve united to lift each other up and create new resources to solve for food and health disparities, job loss, the digital divide, and other vulnerabilities that were exposed,” said Ernest J. Martinez, chair of CECLEF.
Under the theme of La Causa Sigue or The Cause Continues, this year’s March for Justice is a reminder that, although some 50 years have passed from when La Causa first began, the issues today seem to echo what erupted during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
“The struggle for the working class continues today and is evident in wage disparities, rising costs of healthcare, food disparity, voting rights being challenged and barriers to complete a college education by Black and Brown communities,” Martinez added.
This year, VIA is providing free transportation to and from the march. Participants can park free of charge at the Alamodome. Free, round-trip bus services run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event culminates at Hemisfair Park in a festival of music, food, and speeches by Martinez and Prosper Nirenberg. Music performances by Little Joe, Piñata Protest, DJ Plata, and others. Food trucks will be available on site.
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Additionally, residents can continue the celebration on March 31, Cesar Chavez Day, with a celebration at the San Fernando Ballroom. Entertainment starts at 7 p.m. with DJ Plata, followed by Little Joe y La Familia. Los Callejeros will close the evening. Tickets are $31. Proceeds will benefit student scholarships.
For more information on the March for Justice and ticket information for the March 31 celebration, click here.
Jade Esteban Estrada is a co-editor for the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. jade@sasentinel.com | Twitter: @satx_writer