Trailer for the film, Dolores (2017)
Dolores Huerta is among the most important, yet least known, activists in American history. An equal partner in co-founding the first farm workers unions with Cesar Chavez, her enormous contributions have gone largely unrecognized. Dolores tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice alongside Chavez, becoming one of the most defiant feminists of the twentieth century—and she continues the fight to this day, at 87. With intimate and unprecedented access to this intensely private mother to eleven, the film reveals the raw, personal stakes involved in committing one’s life to social change. Directed by Peter Bratt.
Changing Boundaries: The History of San Jose
Changing Boundaries: The History of San Jose is a detailed documentary story of the working people, political leaders and dreamers who built the City of San Jose.
The Second Telegram from Martin Luther King Dr. 1968
March 5, 1968:The Second Telegram from Martin Luther King Jr.
The struggle in the cities and in the farmworker, movement became increasingly difficult and violence became more and more appealing. Dr. King himself was being challenged as too slow and out of fashion. Cesar turned for inspiration to Dr. King and his call for nonviolence. Cesar turned to fasting to encourage self-sacrifice. He was fasting for 25 days in February - March of 1968.
On March 5, 1968 Dr. King sent a telegram addressed to “Cesar Chaves [sic], United Farm Workers, P.O. Box 120, Delano, Calif.”
El Excentrico Magazine 1962
Self Help - The Mexican community held many events to help each other at a time when there were few government services available to them. A Benefit Dance was held to raise money for a little girl who was stricken with cancer.
Daniel Saldana wrote articles in perfect Spanish about US -Mexico relations and encouraged self improvement and education as a way to advance oneself .
El Excentrico Magazine 8.5.1962.
Walter Sweet for San Jose City Councilman 1962
In, Autobiography of La Causa (Chapter 5, Negreroes), Chavez recalls that in 1952 the local CSO had 880 members,“ a lot of poor people and a lot of lot of middle-class people” including about 50 Negroes from the local NAACP. One of them was Wester Sweet, a UC Student”.
An incident occurred when Wester and some friends decided to go to Leon’s Restaurant, and they were denied service. Mr. Leon was a CSO member. Cesar’s sister Rita was President and she and Ernie Abeytia planned a special meeting where they would bring up the incident and expel Mr. Leon and members who did not follow the policy of non-discrimination. “ It turned into a hot battle. Out of 9 officers, 7 resigned…about 70% of the membership walked out. It was the poor people, almost all illiterate, many of them from Mexico who backed our constitution. But most of the middle class walked out”.
( Wester Sweet became an attorney in San Jose and ran for San Jose City Council in 1962 with support from the Mexican community).
