Cesar Chavez (1927-1993) was a labor leader and champion of Latino American civil rights. Born in Arizona to Mexican American parents, he served in the US Navy before becoming involved in helping poor rural communities to organise themselves politically. He co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, later the United Farm Workers labor union which popularised the slogan “Sí, se puede/Yes we can”. Chavez organized strikes among farmworkers, called for boycotts, and pressured farm owners into granting strikers’ demands using non-violent methods. The most famous of these was the successful Delano grape strike of 1965-1970 which you can read about in our blog post:
Sí Se Puede: Cesar Chavez and the Delano Grape Strike