After the evening religious service, farmworkers lined up outside the door to the hallway leading to the room where Cesar Chavez was fasting. Each one waited  their turn to meet and speak with him, no one was turned away.

 Placed above the door – you have to look carefully – are small wood crosses,  each one counts a day that Cesar has fasted. I count 10 crosses, this would be the 10th day of the Fast.

The Fast for Nonviolence turned out to be the most ingenious organizing campaign ever conceived. Farmworkers from throughout California, Arizona, Texas, Oregon and Washington came to Delano because Cesar Chavez was fasting and each one wanted to meet with him personally to pledge their support for his farmworker movement. In the course of the 25-day period of the Fast, I estimate Cesar Chavez spoke personally  with more than 4000 farmworkers.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 9:41 pm and is filed under FAST AT THE FORTY ACRES (Photo Essay). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.