‘Organize!’ Hundreds gather in Flint to honor, continue legacy of César Chávez and Dolores Huerta

FLINT, MI — A luncheon at the Flint Institute of Arts Museum on Saturday was established in one unifying motto.

“If you want to remember me, organize!”

In those famous words of César Chávez, hundreds gathered on March 29 at the Chávez & Huerta luncheon celebration at the FIA.

The event, held by the Latinx Technology & Community Center, honored César Chávez Day, which falls on Monday, March 31, this year, and Dolores Huerta.

But those gathered weren’t only there to honor the lives of Chávez and Huerta but carry on their legacy.

The pair were known best for being civil rights activists who advocated for fair wages and working conditions for farmers as co-founders of the United Farm Workers.

Tables were filled and room to roam freely was limited as six speakers took the podium, food was served and Gabriel Estrada sang for those in attendance.

While the event honored their legacy, those in the room recognized work still needs to be done.

Keynote speaker Celia Perez-Booth asked attendees to write down personal memories they had of Chávez so the next generation wouldn’t forget the work.

“When we stop talking about important people in our lives that have died, this is when their spirit really dies,” she said.

Perez-Booth credits Chávez for the light and awareness he brought Mexican-Americans and migrant workers as a whole.

Latinx Center executive director Asa Ascencio Zuccaro acknowledged the noble and hard work his organization has done to help those in the community, but he questioned if that was enough.

He directed the faithful organizers to the work that’s still in front of them, noting the change in immigration policy and how people who were once sound members of the community are now seen as threats.

“Somehow people who have (been) living in and contributing to this country for many, many years, for decades, are somehow perceived as a threat. So, what are they threatening?” Ascencio Zuccaro asked the crowd.

He became emotional behind the microphone when he talked specifically on the topic of parents being separated from their children and had to step back to gather his emotions more than once.

Ascencio Zuccaro assured the audience there’s more common ground than what the political rhetoric might want people to believe.

“No matter what side of the political aisle you’re on, I know there’s common ground,” he said. “I’ve had these conversations. We want to see families together, we want to have a safe country.”

Saginaw resident Angelo Kapp was one of the many in attendance and likened it to a family gathering.

He said he walked away knowing there’s work that still needs to be done and the finish line is a ways down the road.

Kapp added people need to be deliberate about seeking out the truth online while making an effort to learn more about other people’s cultures.

“Diversity is the greatest strength of America and if we’re ever going to be a stronger country we need to be more united in our values,” he said. “In those values that are reflective of everyone to have a safe home, education for their children and a better future forever. I mean those (things) are what makes America great.”

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