Michigan State University is celebrating the 15th annual César Chávez and Dolores Huerta Commemorative Celebration, or CCDH, on Saturday, March 29, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. The event will feature conversation, food and dance.
This year’s theme is “De Aqui Y de Alla: Celebrating 15 Years of Empowerment, Community and Culture.” With it, the CCDH Planning Committee pays homage to the Chicano/Latino Faculty, Staff, Specialist and Graduate Student Association, known as ChiLA, as an advocacy group for employees and students at Michigan State. Translated, the theme means “from here and from there,” honoring the historic and current diasporic Latino/e communities.
While the event honors the leadership and advocacy of civil rights leaders César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, this year’s theme also brings into focus the diverse strength of the Latino/e and farmworker communities and the allies who stand in solidarity to raise awareness of the contributions and opportunities these communities bring, as well as the new and ongoing challenges they face.
Celebration highlights
The event coincides with National Farmworker Awareness Week, which takes place March 25 through 31, and César Chávez Day on March 31.
The March 29 event at the Kellogg Center will begin with a welcome, MSU’s land acknowledgement and the reading of the “Prayer of the Farmworkers’ Struggle,” followed by a buffet dinner. The celebration continues with a farmworker spotlight, the presentation of MSU’s annual César Chávez and Dolores Huerta Community Leadership Awards, and a performance of the Spanish language folk song, “De Colores.”
This year’s keynote speaker will be Lisa Ramírez, who serves as the director of the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The daughter of migrant workers and a former migrant worker herself, Ramírez left the fields to serve in the U.S. Army Reserves. She financed portions of her college education through the GI Bill and began her career as an educator in 1992, first as a middle and high school teacher in English and English for speakers of other languages in Texas, then serving as assistant principal and principal. In 2004, Ramírez took on the challenge of opening the Lubbock Independent School District’s first charter campus, the Ramírez Charter School.
She brings a unique combination of personal and professional experiences to help improve the academic success of students across the country. A dynamic change agent at heart, Ramírez has had a powerful impact on the various staff she has worked alongside.
Following her talk, guests are welcome to enjoy baile (a social gathering for dance) featuring DJ Mingo and Los Gueros Ibarra.
Registration and opportunities
Community members and organizations can learn more about the celebration on the event website, including opportunities to volunteer and sponsorship the event website, including opportunities to volunteer and sponsor the event.
Program overview
- 6 p.m. - Welcome, land acknowledgement and farmworker prayer
- 6:10 p.m. - Buffet dinner
- 6:40 p.m. - Farmworker spotlight — Paulino Martinez and Charlie Martinez
- 7:10 p.m. - Awards presentation
- 7:30 p.m. – “De Colores” performance
- 7:40 p.m. - Keynote speaker — Lisa Ramírez
- 8:10-10 p.m. - Baile - DJ Mingo and Los Gueros Ibarra
Parking information
Parking is available at the garage adjacent to the Kellogg Center and is free with an MSU Employee Parking Permit or will be redeemed at check-in via a QR code. Students are encouraged to take CATA bus lines 15, 18, 20, 25, 31 or 34. Additional free parking is available at Brody Hall.
Please direct any additional questions to the CCDH Planning Committee.