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December 22, 2006

Update: Cesar Chavez statue unveiled / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
State Sen. Juan Pichardo, left, congratulates Julio Cesar Aragon and Providence City Councilman Terrence Hassett, right, after they unveiled the bronze statue of Cesar E. Chavez at the State House this afternoon.

A grand goal for the Mexican-American Association of Rhode Island was realized today at the State House when a red cloth was pulled off the bronze statue of activist Cesar E. Chavez.

It has been almost nine years in the making, this memorial for the iconic Mexican-American who led a grape boycott in California in the 1960s that resulted in better labor conditions for farm workers.

The statue, unveiled this afternoon, will remain in the Bell Room at the State House for about three months, according to Julio Cesar Aragon, head of the Mexican-American Association of Rhode Island.

Then it will be moved by March 31 to its permanent place – a small memorial garden for Chavez that has yet to be built in Davis Park, across from Nathanael Greene Middle School at 721 Chalkstone Ave.

That’s Chavez’s birthday, and everything must be in place by then, Aragon said today.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson  at 6:12 PM | Permalink

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