Born March 31, 1927
Yuma, Arizona
Died April 23, 1993
San Luis, Arizona

Labor leader, founder of the United Farm Workers, and civil rights leader

César Chávez is widely considered to have been the greatest Mexican American civil rights leader in history. Chávez brought the terrible plight of farm workers—most of whom were of Mexican descent—to the attention of the American public. He was a charismatic leader who turned the farm workers’ strike into a national movement for social justice.

In the 1960s Chávez founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) union, an organization that continues to work on behalf of agricultural workers throughout the United States. While the war against injustice in the fields is far from over, Chávez’s efforts have resulted in improved conditions...