Monday open thread: Happy César Chavez Day!

So, hey everyone! I'm off today! And why, you may ask? I mean, it's Monday. I should be at work slinging books.

Well, I live in the beautiful land known as California. And here we celebrate the birthday of the tzaddik César Chavez, founder of the United Farm Workers union along with Dolores Huerta.

Mr. Chavez's trajectory from hated by the Establishment to being a hero of the state mirrors that of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s. But whereas people who would have lynched Dr. King had they had the chance back in the day attempt to make him into an anodyne "model", César Chavez still carries the radical force of his prime. If you're of a certain age—and I am—you might remember the "No grapes! / No uvas!" campaign of the 1970s and 1980s, as the UFW urged consumers to boycott California grapes until the farm owners agreed to deals with the workers whom the UFW represented. And trust me: the things the white power establishment said about César Chavez were as awful as those said about Dr. King. But history belongs to those who dare, not those who shirk. And now César is one of the pantheon of California political and social justice figures. 

So, for today, we're going to have a little history lesson. I hope you'll like it and learn something.

This is your open thread.

Postscript

Just FYI: I'm keeping a close eye on the events in Israel. So don't be shocked if we have another post today.

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