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Dolores Huerta Speaks at District's First Dolores Huerta-César Chávez Day
On Monday, March 25, 2019, Fort Worth ISD became the first school district in Texas with a student holiday honoring the lives and legacies of Dolores Huerta and César Chávez with community service projects and leadership break-out sessions.
Ms. Huerta, a living Latina legend who spent 30 years advocating for the civil rights of labor workers, encouraged Fort Worth ISD high school students to work together, serve one another, advocate and use their voice to invoke change.
“When we leave this world, we want to make sure that we leave it in a better place,” Ms. Huerta told standing-room audience of mostly students at the District’s inaugural Dolores Huerta and César Chávez Day of Service event. “Whatever you decide to do, think about service for others.
“We are one human family … we have to be proud of … our indigenous values … ones of cooperation and support and protection of each other.”
Ms. Huerta was the honored guest at the District’s inaugural Day of Service event held at the Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus.
The day brought students a living example of servant leadership in Ms. Huerta, Superintendent Kent P. Scribner said. He reminded students that “the job of a leader is not to create followers. The job of a leader is to create leaders.”
“We know that Dolores Huerta not only has power, but she shares that power because she knows that we, us and our are much more powerful than I, me and my. We together are much stronger than any one of us individually,” Dr. Scribner said. “This is a grassroots leader who believes in young people and understands the importance that we prepare the soil for leadership, and that’s what we’re doing today by investing in you.”
Festivities kicked off with performances and presentations from Young Women’s Leadership Academy Cheer, North Side High School’s Mariachi Espuelas de Plata, My Brother’s Keeper, Girls, Inc., Con Mi Madre and FWISD Board of Education Trustee Jacinto Ramos.
Last April, the Board approved a resolution in April 2018 establishing the annual observance honoring Mr. Chávez and Ms. Huerta the Monday before Chávez's birth date on March 31.
More than 62 percent of students in the Fort Worth District are Hispanic.
For students like Omar Torres, a senior at Young Men’s Leadership Academy, the student holiday means a lot, he said. He briefly talked about the holiday and what it meant to have Ms. Huerta part of the festivities.
“It was really motivational. It taught me how much work you need to put in to have equality,” Omar said. “It means a lot to me. It brings me closer to my heritage.”
Other FWISD students called Ms. Huerta’s message eye-opening and said that her message conveyed the importance of having a voice and everyone working together to invoke change.
FWISD’s Day of Service is one of several local events being held to honor Mr. Chávez and Ms. Huerta this month across Fort Worth. All Tarrant County offices are closed March 25 in observance of Chávez. The Cesar Chávez Committee of Tarrant County will host its 19th solidarity walk and rally, Saturday, March 30 to honor the civil rights leaders.
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