Cesar Chavez People Quotations

The people united will never be defeated.

[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.

Do not romanticize the poor...We are all people, human beings subject to the same temptations and faults as all others. Our poverty damages our dignity.

You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.

We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that the animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect them and love them as we love ourselves.

The thing that we have going for us is that people are willing to sacrifice themselves.

When you have people together who believe in something very strongly - whether it's religion or politics or unions - things happen.

Being of service is not enough. You must become a servant of the people. When you do, you can demand their commitment in return.

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.

What I do shows people what kind of person I am.

I think one of the great, great problems...is confusing people to the point where they become immobile. In fact, the more things people can find out for themselves, the more vigor the organization is going to have.

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

Non violence means people in action. People have to understand that with non-violence goes a hell of a lot of organization.

There's no reason to be non-violent. There's no challenge unless you are living for people.

There are many reasons for why a man does what de does. To be himself he must be able to give it all. If a leader cannot give it all he cannot expect his people to give anything.

"The life of the union depends upon more people getting to share the limelight, because with the limelight also comes responsibility and with the responsibility comes a little sharing of the load." "There isn't enough money to organize poor people. There never is enough money to organize anyone. If you put it on the basis of money, you're not going to succeed."

Imagine the National Guard being called against a group of peaceful people. How far can we get; how disgraceful can it become? It's the most disgraceful, the most wicked thing I've seen in all my years of organizing farm labor.

Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.

If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him...The people who give you their food give you their heart.