Sat. April 10: Join the Parade in Honor of Cesar Chavez, a Great Vegetarian

[Guest guest]

Did you know that Cesar Chavez was a vegetarian? Cesar Chavez believed that

adopting a vegetarian diet was important for justice, peace, and non-violence,

and he encouraged those around him to follow his example. Because of Cesar

Chavez' philosophy, many leaders in the farm labor movement today are

vegetarian. If you didn't know Cesar Chavez was vegetarian, it's no surprise.

I checked NINE different biographies online, and only one (Wikipedia) mentioned

that Cesar Chavez was vegetarian. The Wikipedia article references a quote from

Cesar Chavez' niece Camila, which appeared in the online version of MAS magazine

in 2006 (excerpt below):

 

" With many Hispanics facing problems with obesity, high cholesterol and heart

disease, following a vegetarian lifestyle could help them lead healthier lives.

Camila Chavez found her transition to a vegetarian lifestyle not only easy, but

also saw it as a way to honor her uncle Cesar E. Chavez, co-founder of the

United Farm Workers union.

 

" 'Cesar was a vegan. He didn't eat any animal products. He was a vegan because

he believed in animal rights but also for his health,' Chavez said. 'Growing up

I was always surrounded by vegetarians and vegetarian meals were always an

option. When Cesar died, I decided to become a vegetarian in honor of him.' "

 

SO ... in honor of Cesar Chavez, let's get a big group of vegetarians (and

veg-friendly folks) together to march in the Cesar Chavez Parade in San

Francisco!

 

 

Meet at 10:30 a.m., near 18th and Dolores, on the southwest corner of the

OUTSIDE of the tennis courts. This is so we can get our group organized for the

march. The official gathering time / lining up for the parade route is 11:00

a.m. The parade is scheduled to depart Dolores Park at 12:00 NOON and arrive at

24th St Fair (between Treat and Bryant Streets) at 1:00 p.m. After that, feel

free to enjoy the community event - street fair (featuring veg-friendly speakers

and an SFVS/IDA booth) and/or share a vegan lunch at a nearby restaurant.

 

 

Make and bring your own signs with your favorite quotes about vegetarianism. We

also need banners that say " Cesar Chavez was a Vegetarian " and/or similar

messages. It would be great to dress up (optional) as farm workers or farm

animals, vegetables, or fruits! I have a bicycle with a soul cycle sound

system, so I can play some tunes from any MP3 player to keep us energized. We'll

have a cart with Vegan Outreach flyers to hand out to people gathered along the

parade route.

 

In addition to a costume and signs, be sure to carry some water and snacks for

yourself, and hats/sunglasses/rain gear/etc as appropriate. And (optional) you

can bring vegan treats (clementines, candy, cookies) to hand out along the

parade route. When you RSVP in the evite, please indicate the kinds of signs

and costumes you plan to bring.

 

Please RSVP here:

http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/CNPFDIURWGJDWIRVIHXV/ccparade2010

 

If you're shy about handing out flyers and talking to strangers about

vegetarianism, note that we only need a couple people who are willing to do

that. Mainly what we need are lots of people with smiling faces to walk with

veg-friendly signs and banners that make it known to the world that Cesar Chavez

was a vegetarian. The history books and online biographies typically omit this,

even though vegetarianism was an integral part of Cesar Chavez' life for 25

years. Let's set the record straight.

 

Read more about the Cesar Chavez Parade here:

http://www.cesarchavezday.org/

 

Hope you can make it!

-Rachel D.

San Francisco, CA