Cesar Chavez Quotes

When the man who feeds the world by toiling in the fields is himself deprived of the basic rights of feeding, sheltering, and caring for his own family, the whole community of man is sick.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Community Family Himself Man Sick World
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
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
We must understand that the highest form of freedom carries with it the greatest measure of discipline.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Discipline Freedom Greatness Understand
Violence just hurts those who are already hurt. Instead of exposing the brutality of the oppressor, it justifies it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Hurt Oppression Violence
I am an organizer, not a union leader. A good organizer has to work hard and long. There are no shortcuts. You just keep talking to people, working with them, sharing, exchanging and they come along.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Leadership Myself People Talk
What I do shows people what kind of person I am.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Kind Myself 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
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
In 1968, I became a vegetarian after realizing that animals feel afraid, cold, hungry, and unhappy like we do.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Animal Cold Feeling Happiness Myself
True wealth is not measured in money or status or power. It is measured in the legacy we leave behind for those we love and those we inspire.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Inspirational Love Money Power True Wealth
We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community – and this nation.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Community Help Nation Need Parents Strength Student
If we are full of hatred, we can’t really do our work. Hatred saps all that strength and energy we need to plan.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Hate Planning Strength
When a man or woman, young, or old, takes a place on the picket line for even a day or two, he will never be the same again.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Himself Man Place Woman
In some cases non-violence requires more militancy than violence.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Deep Violence
I became a vegetarian after realizing that animals feel afraid, cold, hungry and unhappy like we do. I feel very deeply about vegetarianism and the animal kingdom.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Animal Fear Feeling Happiness Myself
Being of service is not enough. You must become a servant of the people. When you do, you can demand their commitment in return.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Commitment Enough People
Organizing is an educational process. The best educational process in the union is the picket line and the boycott. You learn about life.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Education Learning Life Unity Yourself
To make a great dream come true, the first requirement is a great capacity to dream; the second is persistence.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Dreams Greatness Persistence True
Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Beginning Change Revolution
We’ll organize workers in this movement as long as we’re willing to sacrifice. The moment we stop sacrificing, we stop organizing.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Moments Sacrifice Stop Willing
There is no substitute for hard work, 23 or 24 hours a day. And there is no substitute for patience and acceptance.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Acceptance Patience
The end of all knowledge must be the building up of character.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Character End Knowledge
You are never strong enough that you don’t need help.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Enough Help Need Strong Yourself
The non-violent technique does not depend for its success on the goodwill of the oppressor, but rather on the unfailing assistance of God.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Failure God Oppression Success Violence
Our language is the reflection of ourselves.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Language Ourselves Reflection
When you sacrifice, you force others to sacrifice. It’s an extremely powerful weapon.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Powerful Sacrifice Weapon Yourself

Famous American Activists