Welcome to the Park of the Week Newsletter for October 3, 2024. This week we’re featuring a national monument that celebrates the life and legacy of one of America’s most impactful civil rights leaders.
César E. Chávez National Monument
Location
Kern County, California, United States
Claim to fame
César E. Chávez was a Mexican-American civil rights leader, politician, and cultural icon. In the 1960s, he, along with other activists like Dolores Huerta and Larry Itliong, organized the first ever unions for farm workers in the state of California.
Born into a family of farm workers, Chávez became inspired by the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the nonviolent tactics taught by India’s Mahatma Ghandi. He led protests, hunger strikes, and political movements that led to the creation of laws in California and across the United States in support of farm laborers’ rights.
His rallying cry of “Sí se puede” is still used today to ignite crowds for social and political change.
Reason to visit
César E. Chávez National Monument is a small park run by the National Park Service (NPS) and the César Chávez Foundation. The monument oversees property donated by the Chávez family, including César and his wife Helen’s home and gravesites.
The NPS houses a memorial garden and visitor center with exhibits that tell the story of the celebrated activist, including his preserved office. The park was founded in 2012 and is continuing to grow, with several sites, including The Forty Acres–the site of Chávez’s first public fast–as potential park additions.
Wild Fact
March 31, César Chávez’s birthday, is an official state holiday in Texas, Colorado, and California. President Barack Obama, who used Chávez’s rallying slogan and spoke often of Chávez’s influence during his campaign for president, declared March 31 as a national day of service, although it is not recognized as a federal holiday. Obama also established César E. Chávez National Monument.
Thanks for reading. Each Thursday, we send out an image and description of a unique natural or cultural treasure like the one above. Learn new things, explore special places, and find your inspiration: sign up for the free newsletter today.