Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/477973
went to work on the boycott in Philadelphia from 1973 to 1978. After that, until 1984, h e w o r k e d i n C a s a P a r a Aprender (House for Learn- ing), a child care program at UFW headquarters in Keene, where youngsters included Chávez's grandchildren. By then, Williamson had two more children. Ye a r s o f b o y c o t t s a n d picket lines takes a toll on family life. Williamson and h is w i fe d ivo rce d . He h a s since remarried. Williamson always loved working with children, so he decided to teach in public school. He was hired in the Hesperia Unified School Dis- trict on an emergency permit and enrolled in a master's pro- gram in early child education at CSU Bakersfield, where he also took courses toward his credential. He has taught students at Maple Elementary School since 1984, most of whom are Hispanic. Today, as a CTA activist, he is proud to be part of an a s s o c i a t i o n t h a t p ro m o t e s critical-thinking skills over high-stakes testing and values the whole child. "I'm also very excited about CTA's strategic plan," he says. "I'm proud that CTA is moving forward. I am an enthusiastic supporter of teachers taking back our profession, because teachers understand what is best for students. I am also pleased that increasing teacher diversity is part of the strategic plan, because diversity in our profession is essential. And of course, so is an emphasis on promoting social justice." Williamson says proudly that he holds high expectations of students. He visits their homes and has gotten to know their families and become part of the community. Many parents in his school know of his sacrifice to help migrant workers and have expressed their appreciation. "I was lucky to play a role in the historical events of UFW. It was very inspiring to be continually working with people who care more about others than themselves — and were committed to making positive change in the world. I'm proud to be a part of that." more violence," says Williamson. "His response, instead, was to go on a fast." Throughout his life, Chávez would fast many times in the name of nonvi- olence, once consuming only water for 36 days. Chávez also made a 343-mile march from Delano to Sacramento in 1966 to garner support. A SCHOOL FOR "STRIKE" CHILDREN In 1969, Williamson and his wife used funds from the Migrant Ministry to create the "Huelga School" in Delano, which started in an old UFW office. Huelga is Spanish for strike. The school was touted in UFW publications as being "a perma- nent part of the farmworkers' movement for social justice" and offered after-school tutoring to children who were involved in the grape strike. At that time, it was legal for growers to use child labor in the fields. UFW members felt their own school was necessary since migrant children experienced so much discrimination in public schools during that era. William- son recalls that one teacher in a Delano school complained loudly in front of s t u d e n t s , " I c a n ' t t e a c h a ny t h i n g t o dumb Mexicans," and another school wo u l d n o t l e t a L a t i n o s t u d e n t t a ke a class because it would make him eligible for a scholarship. Huelga School students voted to picket Safeway and made signs as a project. Their messages were very forceful. In Spanish and English they wrote "We want César out of jail" and "Don't shop at stores that sell scab lettuce" and "We are fighting Safeway and we will not give up." The school offered project-based, self-paced learning with an emphasis on political activism. "Our program had a huge impact on children involved in the movement. Many claim that it was transformative and attribute everything good in their lives to what they learned at Huelga School." WILLIAMSON SEGUES INTO PUBLIC SCHOOL In response to what UFW perceived as the Teamsters "raiding" the grape contracts, Williamson and others P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y S C O T T B U S C H M A N César Chávez attended a 1991 State Council meeting and thanked delegates, especially those from UTLA, for their efforts on his behalf. He is shown here with former CTA Secretary- Treasurer Ron McPeck. Members marched with Chávez and the UFW in the 1960s. CTA was a major influence in establishing California's Migrant Education Program in 1967. State Council sanctioned the boycott of table grapes in 1988 and boycotts of Vons and Safeway in 1991. Today, CTA's César E. Chávez Memorial Education Awards recognize students who demonstrate an understanding of the vision and guiding principles by which Chávez lived his life. Perspectives 27 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 7