MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2010 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Walls, Butler, Jordan, Jones, Harden, Simmons, Jackson (11th), Dawkins, Horhn, Jackson (32nd)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO ADOPT A NATIONAL HOLIDAY TO CELEBRATE THE OCCASION OF MR. CESAR CHAVEZ'S BIRTHDAY ON MARCH 31 ANNUALLY TO RECOGNIZE HIS MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETY.
WHEREAS, from humble beginnings in 1927, Cesar Estrada Chavez, a founder of the United Farm Workers, rose to a major force in American history, making him a heroic figure of the 20th Century; and
WHEREAS, through personal sacrifice, Mr. Chavez focused national attention on the plight of farm workers, making the world aware of the necessity for safe and fair working conditions in the fields of our nation; and
WHEREAS, millions of Americans from across the nation of all ethnicities and nationalities, joined him in the movement for farm workers' rights; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Chavez was also a champion for civil rights, workers' rights, women's rights and voting rights, and was an early environmentalist, warning the public of the devastating effects of pesticides on both farm workers and consumers; and
WHEREAS, as a result of these and other valuable contributions, nine states now celebrate Cesar Estrada Chavez's birthday, March 31, as a holiday, including California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin; and
WHEREAS, countless schools, streets, libraries and other public institutions have been named after Cesar Estrada Chavez, and many cities have honored him by establishing an official holiday on his birthday; and
WHEREAS, the life of Mr. Chavez, who, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was an adherent of nonviolent civil disobedience, serves as a model for all Americans:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we hereby urge the United States Congress and President Obama to establish an official national holiday and day of service, learning and action in his birthday, March 31, each year in honor of the exemplary work of Mr. Cesar Chavez on behalf of farm workers, civil rights, workers' rights and women's rights.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Mississippi Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives are directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Cesar E. Chavez National Holiday Organization, the Mississippi congressional delegation, the President of the United States, and that a copy be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.