By Hipolito Navarrete, Managing Editor/Publisher

“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” – Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez day is supposed to be celebrated on March 31 of every year, but as I sit here, I only found out because one of the school districts we work with is off. So what does this say about our commitment to memorialize those that fought for the rights of others, not much.

This administration has pushed all minority communities; people of color, LGBTQ, and women, to a crisis and that is where they want them because these communities are trying to find their bearings after 8 years of respectful acknowledgement from a much saner administration.

Cesar Chaves founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962 along with Activist Dolores Huerta. Mr. Chavez died in April 23, 1993. When they chose the colors of the flag that would represent the movement he chose Aztec eagle, “A symbol is an important thing. That is why we chose an Aztec eagle. It gives pride . . . When people see it they know it means dignity.”

Mr. Chavez is a symbol of how we need to act, not just talk. There are many more Latinos with college education and with better opportunities to support and elevate those that still suffer injustice at the hands of uncaring educators, heartless business owners and unjust representatives of the justice system, yet most are focused on their own personal lives, we need to look up and listen to Mr. Chavez, just as we listen to Mr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is our responsibility support and protect those that the system is supposed to serve and protect, but choose not to.

We are not at a crossroads, we are at a fork, here we make a decision of who we help, ourselves or those that need our support. It’s not just about our own success, its about justice for all those that need a helping hand.

Cesar Chavez made a choice to be inclusive and to fight to create opportunities for those that he felt were abandoned and constantly persecuted, time for all to do the same.

“The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.” – Cesar Chavez