[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 126, 112th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8786--MAR. 23, 2012

Proclamation 8786 of March 23, 2012

Cesar Chavez Day, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

One of our Nation's great civil rights leaders, Cesar Estrada Chavez
came of age as a migrant farm worker, witnessing the injustice that
pervaded fields and vineyards across California. Facing discrimination,
poverty, and dangerous working conditions, laborers toiled for little
pay and without access to even the most basic necessities. Yet amidst
hardship and abuse, Cesar Chavez saw the promise of change--the
unlimited potential of a community organized around a common purpose.
Today, we celebrate his courage, reflect on his lifetime of advocacy,
and recognize the power in each of us to lift up lives and pursue social
justice.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other
visionary leaders, Cesar Chavez based his campaign on principles of
nonviolence, which he called ``the quality of the heart.'' Through
boycotts, fasts, strikes, and marches that demanded both endurance and
imagination, he drew thousands together in support of ``La Causa''--a
mission to ensure respect, dignity, and fair treatment for farm workers.
Alongside Dolores Huerta, he founded the United Farm Workers of America
(UFW), an organization tasked with defending and empowering the men and
women who feed the world.
As a tribute to Cesar Chavez's life and work, my Administration
designated the Forty Acres site in Delano, California, as a National
Historical Landmark last year, forever commemorating the birthplace of
the UFW. In May 2011, the United States Navy named the USNS Cesar Chavez
in recognition of his service during World War II. And this month, we
honor ten Americans as Champions of Change for their commitment to
realizing Cesar Chavez's dream of a more just tomorrow. Decades after
his struggle began, Cesar Chavez's legacy lives on in all who draw
inspiration from the values of service, determination, and community
that ignited his movement.
On the 85th anniversary of Cesar Chavez's birth, we are reminded of what
we can accomplish when we recognize our common humanity. He told us,
``We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and
prosperity for our community. Our ambitions must be broad enough to
include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our
own.'' As we honor his broad ambitions and expansive vision, let us
pledge to stand forever on the side of equal opportunity and justice for
all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2012, as
Cesar Chavez Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with
appropriate service, community, and education programs to honor Cesar
Chavez's enduring legacy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of
March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and


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of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.
BARACK OBAMA