Today is César Chávez Day, a celebration marking an integral part of Denver’s history as a place of activism and resistance. Alongside fellow activist Dolores Huerta, Chávez formed the United Farm Workers Union and traveled the country supporting agricultural workers’ strikes and Chicano and Latino political and social justice movements.
From the 1960s through the 1990s, Chávez supported farm workers in the San Luis Valley and the Denver activists of the Crusade for Justice; he made several visits to Colorado throughout his life and left a lasting impact on the city and state. This photo shows Chávez (fourth from left) on one such trip with Colorado legislators Federico Peña, George Chavez, Ruben Valdez, Polly Baca-Barragán, and Richard Castro.
