Marchers honor Cesar Chavez in downtown Flint

by David Harris | The Flint Journal

FLINT -- Pablo Lopez of Flint held a framed United Farm Workers of America flag with a picture of Cesar Chavez in the corner as he walked the street that bears the labor pioneer's name.

"Cesar Chavez!" he shouted as he lifted the flag Saturday afternoon during a march on Chavez Drive in downtown Flint. The event drew about 100 people.

"I've been marching for him, and I used to march with him," said Lopez. "In my heart, he's still with us."

Lopez, 65, said he was a farmer in Michigan's Thumb area in the 1970s when Chavez was championing farm laborers' rights.

"He was concerned for the people," Lopez said. "He helped not just me but all of us."

The third annual march took place to honor Chavez's March 31 birth date. The Mexican-American rights activist, who co-founded what became the United Farm Workers union, is credited with bringing about numerous improvements for migrant laborers. He died in 1993 at the age of 66.

Art Reyes, chairman of the march, said the event raised awareness about Chavez.

"Too often people drive down Chavez Drive and don't realize the importance of the man it's named after," he said.

Reyes said there are similarities between Chavez's fight for rights and the struggles of Flint's autoworkers.

"The UAW was very instrumental in the United Farm Workers of America," said Reyes, UAW Local 651 president. "With us being a big union town, that's very important."

People of all ages turned out for the march, carrying Mexican flags and pictures of Chavez.

Elodia Mireles of Flint participated with her husband, two sons and five grandchildren.

"(Chavez) is a man who we admire and honor," she said. "I (marched) back in the 70s. I brought my grandchildren to experience what I did."

Her son, Jose Mireles, said it's important to pass along Chavez's message to young people.

"This is uplifting future generations," said Jose Mireles, 34, of Flint. "It's about passing that dream on and uplifting our young people so that they can maybe do something that gets a street named after them."