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Because we have suffered, and we are not afraid to suffer in order to survive, we are ready to give up everything – even our lives – in our struggle for justice.

Cesar Chavez

Non-violence has suffered its biggest defeat in the hands of people who most want to talk about it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Defeat Hands People Suffering Talk Violence
When you sacrifice, you force others to sacrifice. It’s an extremely powerful weapon.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Powerful Sacrifice Weapon Yourself
You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Education Learning Reading Yourself
If you’re not frightened that you might fail, you’ll never do the job. If you’re frightened, you’ll work like crazy.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Crazy Failure Job Yourself
History will judge societies and governments – and their institutions – not by how big they are or how well they serve the rich and the powerful, but by how effectively they respond to the needs of the poor and the helpless.
CESAR CHAVEZ

History Judgement Need Powerful Rich
Non-violence is not inaction. It is not discussion. It is not for the timid or weak. Non-violence is hard work.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Action Violence Weakness
I’m not going to ask for anything unless the workers want it. If they want it, they’ll ask for it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Leadership Myself
When you have people together who believe in something very strongly – whether it’s religion or politics or unions – things happen.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Believe People Politics Religion Strong Togetherness Unity
The end of all knowledge must be the building up of character.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Character End Knowledge
What I do shows people what kind of person I am.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Kind Myself People
We must understand that the highest form of freedom carries with it the greatest measure of discipline.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Discipline Freedom Greatness Understand
Nonviolence is really tough. You don’t practice nonviolence at conferences; you practice it on picket-lines.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Battle Practice Violence
I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally nonviolent struggle for justice. To be a man is to suffer for others. God help us to be men!
CESAR CHAVEZ

Act Courage God Man Myself Ourselves Sacrifice Suffering True
The people united will never be defeated.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Defeat People True Unity
We believe that unions have always been about much more than the industries in which they operate. The fight is never about grapes or lettuce, It is always about people.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Believe Fight Food People
When workers fall back on violence, they are lost. Oh, they might win some of their demands and might end a strike a little earlier, but they give up their imagination, their creativity, their will to work hard and to suffer for what they believe is right.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Believe Creation Fall Give Up Imagination Lost Suffering Violence Win
Our language is the reflection of ourselves.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Language Ourselves Reflection
Never, never is it possible to reach someone if you become angry or bitter only love and gentleness can do it. Maybe not this time but maybe the next or the hundredth time.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Angry Love Possible Time
There is no such thing as defeat in non-violence.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Defeat Violence
We are suffering. We have suffered. And we are not afraid to suffer in order to win our cause.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Fear Ourselves Suffering Win
A symbol is an important thing. That is why we chose an Aztec eagle. It gives pride. When people see it they know it means dignity.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Choice Important People Pride See
Talk is cheap. It is the way we organize and use our lives everyday that tells what we believe in.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Believe Live Talk
You know, if people are not pacifists, it’s not their fault. It’s because society puts them in that spot. You’ve got to change it. You don’t just change a man – you’ve got to change his environment as you do it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Change Deep Man People Yourself
The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Fight People
You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Oppression Scare Yourself
If you are interested in preventing animal suffering, the first thing you should give up is eggs and milk, because the animals who produce those foods lead the most unhappy lives. You would do better to eat meat and stop eating eggs and dairy products.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Animal Food Happiness Live Suffering Yourself
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.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Achievement Ambition Community Enough Need Ourselves Prosperity See

Because we have suffered, and we are not afraid to suffer in order to survive, we are ready to give up everything – even our lives – in our struggle for justice.

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Because we have suffered, and we are not afraid to suffer in order to survive, we are ready to give up everything – even our lives – in our struggle for justice.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Cesar Chavez Quotes