César Chávez Photo Gallery

UFW president César Chávez, his mother Juana Estrada Chávez, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the Mass during which Chávez ended his 36-day Fast for Life, in 1988. Jackson, in solidarity,

embarked on his own three-day fast on that day. Greg Gibson/AP Helen Chávez, widow of César Chávez, accepts the Presidential Medal of Freedom— awarded posthumously to the labor leader—from

President Bill Clinton during a White House ceremony in Washington, D.C. on August 8, 1994. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Ricardo Chávez, 26, the nephew of César Chávez, holds a banner with the

picture of César Chávez as he leads a procession in El Paso, Texas, on March 31, 2000, in celebration of the birth date of the civil rights leader. Damian Dovarganes/AP California Gov. Gray

Davis, center, signs into law Senate Bill 984 that creates a new California state holiday honoring United Farm Workers (UFW) founder César E. Chávez, on August 18, 2000. The bill’s author,

Sen. Richard G. Polanco, D-Los Angeles, is partially seen behind Davis. At right, Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the UFW. Nick Ut/AP Paul Chávez, the son of civil rights and farm labor leader

César E. Chávez, looks at a replica of the stamp the U.S. Postal Service unveiled in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 23, 2003, the 10th anniversary of Chávez's passing. "It is a

proud moment for the Postal Service to pay tribute to this great man who stands as a true American hero," said Benjamin Ocasio, vice president of diversity, U.S. Postal Service. David

McNew/Getty Images A man holds a portrait of César Chávez as Los Angeles mayoral run-off candidate Antonio Villaraigosa (l) and Christine Chávez (r), granddaughter of César, walk by in the

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on March 31, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. Hundreds of farm workers, labor union members, and civic and religious leaders attended the annual Mass

honoring the late César E. Chávez, a life-long Catholic and founder of the United Farm Workers union. Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post/Getty Images The César Chávez medallion is part of

The Extra Mile Points of Light Volunteer Pathway in Washington, D.C., a new national monument dedicated to the spirit of service in America. Honoring heroes of our nation’s service movement,

the Extra Mile comprises a series of bronze medallions forming a one-mile walking path just blocks from the White House and features 20 initial honorees whose legacies are enduring social

movements that continue to engage and inspire us today. President Barack Obama, surrounded by the family of César Chávez and leaders of the United Farm Workers, signs a proclamation in the

Oval Office designating March 31, 2010, as César Chávez Day. The date would have been Chávez’s 83rd birthday,