March 31, Cesar Chavez Birthday - petition for national holiday

Sign the Petition for a National Cesar Chavez Holiday! Today we celebrate Cesar Chavez' March 31 birthday. The United Farm Workers and the Cesar Chavez Foundation are supporting the grassroots efforts of the Cesar E. Chavez National Holiday Coalition and U.S. Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) in their efforts to make Cesar's March 31 birthday a federal holiday. Will you help us? Sign the petition today. Then help us spread the word by sharing the petition on Facebook, Twitter, e-mail it to friends, downloading the petition and sign people up at Cesar Chavez observances and other events. Cesar's March 31 birthday is is already celebrated as a holiday in ten states (AZ, CA, CO, IL, MI, NM, RI, TX, UT and WI). On March 1, Rep. Baca introduced legislation in the House of Representatives for the current congressional session that encourages the fourth Friday of every March to be observed as "Cesar E. Chavez Day." Cesar was, in Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's words, "one of the heroic figures of our time." He led the historic non-violent movement for farm worker rights and dedicated himself to building a movement of poor working people that extended beyond the fields and into cities and towns across the nation. He inspired farm workers and millions of people who never worked on a farm to commit themselves to social, economic and civil rights activism. Cesar's legacy, like the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., continues to educate, inspire and empower people from all walks of life. He is a role model for all Americans and for generations to come. Please help us ensure all Americans learn about Cesar's life and work. The Cesar Chavez National Holiday Coalition is gathering signatures on petitions asking Congress to designate March 31, Cesar's birthday and the day the UFW was founded, as Cesar Chavez Day.  Sign the petition today. Help ensure Cesar's legacy is recognized and celebrated throughout our nation with a federal paid holiday and a day of service and learning in our public schools. Si Se Puede! Take Action at: http://action.ufw.org/cecholiday Want to attend a Cesar Chavez event? Go to http://action.ufw.org/find to search for an event near you. Want to list an event on our local interactive community calendar? Go to http://action.ufw.org/list to list your event. Attending a Cesar Chavez event? Please share pictures and videos on our UFW Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/unitedfarmworkers "LIKE" our page to get news on the latest Cesar Chavez and UFW activities!

"Chavez left a legacy as an educator, environmentalist, and a civil rights leader. And his cause lives on. As farm workers and laborers across America continue to struggle for fair treatment and fair wages, we find strength in what Cesar Chavez accomplished so many years ago. And we should honor him for what he's taught us about making America a stronger, more just, and more prosperous nation. That's why I support the call to make Cesar Chavez's birthday a national holiday. It's time to recognize the contributions of this American icon." --Barack Obama "It's supremely important that a day be selected to honor the life of Mr. Cesar Chavez for his quality of service to all humanity. His supreme cry of si se puede will forever resonate as a positive motivator as words of light." --Carlos Santana "He evoked a spirit and a challenge to all of us to do what was right for it’s own sake. “A national holiday honoring Cesar Chavez would secure his profound legacy." --Martin Sheen "Cesar Chavez deserves to be honored with a National Holiday. His life is a beacon of light toward the advancements of all cultures...Lived the life of one who is truly enlightened by the wisdom embodied in love, kindness and forgiveness. He, like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa and others understood the meaning of non-violent social change...Cesar Chavez is truly a gift to humanity." --Edward James Olmos "The struggles Cesar Chavez was engaged in and the victories he achieved for civil rights, labor rights and the environment helped people throughout our nation....In these times of economic hardship and strife around the world, it is essential that Cesar’s legacy continues to inspire others to work for the fair and just treatment of all people." --U.S. Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.)

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