Grape Strike and Boycott
Created By: Lucas Vollmer
The Beggining
On September 8 of 1965, Filipino American grape harvesters, members of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, walked out on strike against Delano-area table and wine grape growers protesting years of poor pay and conditions. They asked Cesar Chavez, who led a mostly Latino farm workers union, the National Farm Workers Association, to join their strike. This was a none violent strike , but some of the strikers equated nonviolence with inaction or even cowardice. Cesar believed exactly the opposite. He believed nonviolence is more powerful than violence, that it supports you if your cause is just.
Cesar's Great Efforts
Cesar announced in February 1968, he was fasting to rededicate the movement to nonviolence. He went without food for 25 days, only drinking water. It was an act of penitence for those who advocated violence and a way of taking responsibility as leader of his movement.In 25 days, Cesar lost 35 pounds. His doctors said his life was in danger. But the fast worked. All talk of violence stopped.
Some grape protests
My Reaction
At first this topic was very weird to me, but then it all fell together. When all the workers walk out of there jobs then you don't have a readily available crop, and if you don't have a readily available crop you don't have any thing to sell it makes it simple. The company owners don't make money you might get what you want. Also if you stay none violent while protesting you get many average Americans on your side because you don't seem like the bad guy. When it clicked I thought it was cool how it worked.