The legacy of labor and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez was honored on Monday, March 31, inside the Chavez Residential Hall, where a speech and photo exhibit about his European tour paid tribute to his global impact.
The event, hosted by Stony Brook University’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center, featured a lecture by Stephen Pitti, a professor at Yale University. The event began with a short screening of his biographical film, “Cesar Chavez” (2014), and provided those in attendance with a brief overview of Chavez’s advocacy.
Nicholas Pelc, a freshman majoring in computer science, described the documentary as thought-provoking.
“The video was very interesting; it didn’t play for long, but it left me with some questions that I was hoping the speaker would answer,” Pelc said.
Following the screening, Lori Flores, an associate professor from the Department of History, introduced Pitti as “a lighthouse figure for Latino academia.” Pitti opened by discussing Chavez’s travels across Europe.
“He hadn’t decided to take a vacation, though he may have needed one,” Pitti said.
Instead, Chavez embarked on a journey to gain support from European consumers and leaders who decided what goods were sold. Pitti emphasized Chavez’s work beyond the United States borders as he sought to find ways to prevent California grapes from being sold in Western Europe.
“He wanted to accelerate the boycott of that fruit,” he said. “So that [agricultural] business interests could not make high profits in Europe.”
Pitti detailed Chavez’s travels, which took him to several countries, including France, the Netherlands and Italy. One of the most significant events occurred on the 13th day of his trip, when he met with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican. The meeting, arranged by members of the U.S. Catholic Hierarchy, gave Chavez the opportunity to discuss the struggles of farmworkers with one of the world’s most influential religious figures. Despite the significance of the meeting, Chavez left disappointed.
During the meeting with the pope, Chavez managed to hand him the union flag that read “Huelga,” meaning “Strike” in Spanish. The moment was captured, but the Vatican later refused to turn over the photo because the image did not develop properly.
Despite his failed attempt, the pope later called Chavez “a loyal son of the Catholic Church and a distinguished leader.” His meetings with union leaders, activists and religious figures helped spread awareness about the harsh conditions farm workers faced in the United States.
Complementing the lecture was a photo exhibit that had been spread across the five-floor residential hall. The exhibit, created by Flores, included photographs of Chavez addressing labor unions and meeting the pope and other European leaders throughout his visit. There were also photos of the Gutierrez family, who allowed Chavez and his team to stay in their home while on their visit to Norway.
Flores stressed the significance of recognizing Chavez’s work and said she hopes to see more future projects at the University honoring historical figures. She plans to keep this exhibit present on campus for up to at least a year.
“I think it is important to remember, and I hope that we see more,” said Flores. “I would like to have them up for maybe a year or a few years. If the hall wants to keep them up, they could stay forever.”
During a Q&A session following the lecture, students asked Pitti various questions about Chavez’s international activism and the people he worked with on his mission.
Pitti emphasized that Chavez’s efforts helped set a precedent for global movements across the world.
“In many cases, the people he worked with learned to be organizers, they came to understand how to talk to people and how to talk about history, how to develop critiques of power and all sorts of things,” Pitti said.
