• Reporter profile
• More by Janet Rose Jackman

• Latest
• Most Commented

• Barber: Congress needs to get to work, stop political games
• Gangplank opens new Downtown workspace
• Radar van locations, traffic incidents & today's gas prices
• The Sentinel Quiz: Test your news knowledge
• Police & fire scanners

• Poll: Flake among least-favorite senators after gun-bill vote7
• Buckley: My first and last days at the Tucson Citizen4
• Pima County, Humane Borders mapping migrant deaths4
• Pima prof: Probation based on hearsay from small groups4
• El Rio for all, not 'for sale'3

Thanks to

Updated Mar 31, 2012, 10:17 am

Janet Rose Jackman TucsonSentinel.com

Saturday is César Chávez Day and Tucson will honor the late labor leader and activist with a march and celebration on the city's South Side.

The Arizona César E. Chávez Holiday Coalition will lead marchers from St. John the Evangelist Church at Ajo Way and 12th Avenue, east on Veterans Boulevard, south on Sixth Ave to Rudy Garcia Park at Sixth and Irvington Road.

Members of the community spoke at 9 a.m. at the church's school and the 12th annual march will began at 10.

There will be music, food, speeches and entertainment throughout the day at Rudy Garcia Park, formerly Rodeo Park, said Coalition spokeswoman Laura Dent in a news release.

The celebration's theme this year is "Remembering the Life of Richard Chávez," who died in July. Richard Chávez, César's brother, was instrumental in the struggle for the rights of farmworkers for more than 40 years, Dent said.

Richard Chávez participated in Tucson's annual march honoring his brother several times and spoke at area schools about their work, Dent said.

Cesar Chávez founded the United Farm Workers Union with fellow Mexican American activist Dolores Huerta in 1962. With their motto "Sí, Se Puede," or "Yes, We Can," the UFW fought for the rights of workers who labored in the West's farm fields.

"César and Dolores are an inspiration to the world, youth, and Latinos everywhere. They inspired by giving and not giving up," said Tucson High student Guadalupe Blancarte in the news release.

Thanks for reading TucsonSentinel.com. Tell your friends to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Chávez died in 1993. In 2011, President Barack Obama declared March 31 — the labor leader's birthday — César Chávez Day.

"'Sí, Se Puede!' is not just a catchy phrase, it's a way of life, of not giving up, never losing hope." said Trinity Canada, a Tucson High School student, in the press release.