Hailing Cesar NKU screening | Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

Hailing Cesar NKU screening

This past Wednesday the Northern Kentucky chapter joined other organizations for a celebration of Cesar Chavez Day at Northern Kentucky University. As part of the celebration, Latino Program and Services at NKU brought in Cesar Chavez's grandson, Eduardo Chavez, to show his new film Hailing Cesar.

More than 80 people came out to this event to meet the filmmaker and learn more about the legacy Cesar Chavez. The film followed Eduardo's journey to key locations in the life of Cesar Chavez, and the success of the United Farm Workers in California, and hearing for the first time of his own father's part in the work growing up. From working side by side with farm workers in Napa Valley, supporting legislation that guaranteed overtime pay for farmworkers in California, visiting workers' homes, and spending time at his grandfather's home/United Farm Workers offices in Delano, California, the film illustrates how the legacy of Chavez is still felt today.

Following the film was a discussion with attendees about what people were going to take away from the film. There was a committment from people to do more in their community to make change, and understand how even though progress has been made on racial and economic justice there is still a long way to go.

Eduardo Chavez ended the discussion by saying the most important thing to do was to find the issues you are passionate about, and find a way to live not just for yourself but for others in your community. For his grandfather, it was for his fellow farmworkers. For Eduardo, it's the related fight of just comprehensive immigration reform. By doing little things for our community everycday we can make a lasting difference in the society we live in.