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'Power is in us,' labor leader says in Oxnard College talk
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Rob Varela / Star staff Ventura College student Cesar Cervantes of Oxnard signs a banner that was presented to Dolores Huerta, who spoke at Oxnard College on Wednesday.
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More from Education: CollegeIf people want social justice, they must organize and fight for it — speak up, march and vote, labor leader Dolores Huerta told a crowd of students Wednesday at Oxnard College.
"Nothing is going to change unless we do it," said Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union with César Chávez in 1962. "The power is in us."
Huerta, 77, spoke as part of the college's speakers series, which is held on campus every Wednesday. Other speakers have included poet Maria Meléndez and author Ernesto Caravantes.
About 800 people attended Huerta's talk, 550 of them from local high schools, said Shelley Savren, an English professor who is organizing the series.
Judith Galvan, 16, a student at Channel Islands High School in Oxnard, was there because she wanted to hear history from someone who made it.
"I wanted to show that I cared what she did," Galvan said. "We're learning about this in the classroom, and this puts a face to what we're learning."
Other high schools sending students were Camarillo, Hueneme, Oxnard, Pacifica and Rio Mesa.
David Gallegos, dean of students at Hueneme, brought about 55 teens to the talk so they could understand the sacrifices their parents and grandparents made fighting for the rights they now have. Before the talk, Gallegos reminisced about attending rallies with his dad, who was a farmworker. As he reminisced, he recalled an old chant from those rallies: "Chávez, sí; Teamsters, no."
"We're trying to promote higher education, to have them learn beyond the classroom," Gallegos said. "If they understand the struggles of the past, they might take advantage of the opportunities available to them in the present."
After co-founding the United Farm Workers, Huerta helped organize grape boycotts in the late 1960s. She also lobbied for employment and health rights for farmworkers. Later, she founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation, aimed at encouraging grass-roots communities to organize.
"We're trying to preserve and teach the organizing methods César Chávez and I used when we organized the farmworkers years ago," Huerta said in an interview after her talk Wednesday. "We hire and train organizers so they can go into the communities, so the communities can fight their own battles."
In her talk, Huerta urged students to get an education if they want to be part of the fight for social justice.
"The best way to fight back is to stay in school," she said.
Then she addressed the young women in the audience directly, warning them that they should not rely on someone else to provide for and protect them. That's their job, she said, and they'll need an education and career to do it.
And the young men? They need to learn to cook and do laundry, along with getting an education, she said.
"Women need to be strong, men need to be strong — because we have a lot of things we need to fix," she said.
Parents also can educate their children by taking them along on marches, Huerta said. That's how she managed to be an activist and bring up 11 children, she said in the interview.
"My children came along with me," she said. "If children come to marches, they understand what social justice is all about. It's a good teaching experience."
Posted by CollegeProf on November 29, 2007 at 8:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You are partially correct Adam. I agree that leaders must be in tune with the future, they must be visionaries. BUT you cannot and should not forget the past. The study of "history" in all areas of life is essential. Not just because it (along with other general education subjects) makes us more well rounded but perhaps more importantly because we learn from previous events, past mistakes, and past triumphs.
It is ALWAYS beneficial to hear directly from those who made history. In fact you, too, believe in the value of history as you state in your first paragraph. The real issue here is your need to speak out in every forum you possibly can about your concerns with Oxnard PD. And you may have very valid concerns. But to state that Dolores Huerta is not in tune with the future is categorically wrong.
The very strategies you are talking about, "engaging in acts that really have a potential for change" -- that was the central message of her talk. You obviously were not at Oxnard College to hear her.
Posted by sslocal on November 29, 2007 at 10:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Protest military recruiters? Surely you can find a better outlet for your troubled soul Adam.
Service in the military is an honorable duty. One that should be undertaken with a sense of pride in contributing to this great nations defense.
It is not something to be disdained or protested against. Shame on you sir.
Posted by Equitable_Enforcer on November 29, 2007 at 10:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr. Roland, until we can deal with criminal activities, without claiming racism at every juncture, racism will continue to be fueled.
Though well meaning, you help to perpetuate that which you state to be a problem. Yes, bad things do happen, but to indict entire professions, such as the military and law enforcement, staffed with men and women who are willing to risk their lives even for people so full of hatred as yourself, is a special slap in the face at the dedicated non-Caucasions within these professions.
I have never seen a suspect stopped on the basis of ethnicity or race alone. To the contrary, I've seen officers take extra care to ensure that rights are not violated. If, say, 91% of violent crime in an area is committed by Martians, even though representing about one half of the population, it would seem appropriate that most arrests would be of Martians. The solution ... clean up the Martian community so that those who don't commit the crimes can walk their own neighboods in safety.
Posted by shaver_one on November 29, 2007 at 11:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Racism exists. This is true.
When a Hispanic-American raises his left fist and shouts: "Viva La Raza", it is considered Racial Pride.
When an African-American raises his fist and shouts: "I'm black and I'm proud", it is considered Racial Pride.
When a European-American raises his fist and says nothing at all, it is considered Racial Bigotry.
What's wrong with this picture, Mr. Roland?
You can choose your fights against members of the military or law enforcement...some of it is deserved, some not deserved. But, when you start talking about racism, please remember racism exists on both sides, equally.
Posted by Face on November 30, 2007 at 2:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Communism is the bomb holmes, that is what I learned in school today main."
Posted by AnnaWhaat on December 3, 2007 at 8:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
sslocal ,I agree ! If not for these BRAVE men and women willing to put thier life on the line for our freedom where would our country be???? God Bless the Military !!!!! And the Officers of the law and Firemen, paramedics etc........
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