Hundreds of students at Grand Rapids’ Potter’s House School joined community leaders in honoring the late Cesar E. Chavez through dance, speech and song.
Suzanne Hewitt is co-chair of the Cesar E. Chavez Committee. She says that, as a farm worker, Chavez knew from a young age that he would play a vital role in the labor movement.
“They had to have working conditions that were really tough. They’re working in the heat and the rain and so on. The other part of that is they didn’t have any breaks. They didn’t have any bathrooms or anything of that nature.”
Arturo Lopez is an 8th grader who took part in today’s celebration. He says he was proud to have a role in honoring Chavez and hopes the event serves as a reminder to his fellow students of where their food comes from.
“They can also appreciate the migrant workers or people working in the fields, because we don’t really think about how the food gets to our table.”
Hewitt says the event is all about keeping the spirit of Chavez alive and teaching younger generations about his legacy.
“Learn about Cesar and learn about his ethics and his mottoes and the things that affect us day by day.”
