​Librada Paz

Step 1

Answer the following questions: 
  1. Create a list of produce grown in North Carolina. 
  2. What do you know about those items?
  3. When you eat a meal, do you consider where the food came from and who was involved in getting that food to your table?

Step 2

As you watch the following video, answer the following questions: 
  1. What kind of injustice did the workers hope to undo by going on strike? How did these injustices undermine their humanity?
  2. What is non-violence, and what role did it play in the struggle?
  3. Why did the strikers need help from others? What kinds of things did the strikers ask them to do in support of la causa? Why were the actions of these allies important?
  4. What factors motivated people to get involved in la causa?
  5. What did workers gain as a result of the strike and boycott?
  6. What did our nation gain in the process?
  7. The title of the film is Viva La Causa, which means “Long live the cause.” What message is the filmmaker trying to send?

Step 3

Read the following passage from the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act: 

The farmworkers fair labor practices act:
  • grants collective bargaining rights to farm laborers;
  • requires employers of farm laborers to allow at least 24 consecutive hours of rest each week;
  • provides for a 10 hour work day for farm laborers; requires overtime rate at one and one-half times normal rate;
  • makes provisions of unemployment insurance law applicable to farm laborers;
  • provides sanitary code shall apply to all farm and food processing labor camps intended to house migrant workers, regardless of the number of occupants;
  • provides for eligibility of farm laborers for workers’ compensation benefits;
  • requires employers of farm laborers to provide such farm laborers with claim forms for workers’ compensation claims under certain conditions;
  • requires reporting of injuries to employers of farmworkers.

Select one provision and write a supporting argument that supports that provision. 

Step 4

Read the following speech by Librada Paz and explore 

 John Lewis

Step 1

When you hear the terms
  • social movement
  • political movement
  • cultural movement
What do you think the difference is? Can you think of examples for each? 

Step 2

Read the following excerpt from March, where John Lewis has a flashback to his student days. Then answer the following questions: 
  1. ​What segment of the population took a leadership role in the movement?
  2. What tactics did they use to try and achieve change?
  3. What type of change was desired: social, political, and/or cultural?
  4. Were they successful? Why? Why not?

Step 3

Watch a short video on John Lewis's work and impact on the civil rights movement. 

Step 4

Read John Lewis' speech for the March on Washington and answer the following questions:
  1. ​​​Do you think Lewis should have given his speech as originally written?
  2. Did the compromise language take away from the power of his speech? Why? Why not?
  3. In making the requested changes to his speech, how was Lewis demonstrating his commitment to the civil rights movement?
  4. What were the social, political, and/or cultural changes he wanted?
  5. Can non-violence be powerful?
Below you can find the speech he finally gave. 

Step 5

Read his contemporary speech below and explore his site. 

Brown 

Resources

  1. Southern Poverty Law Center
  2. American Civil Liberties Union (NC Chapter)
  3. List of North Carolina organizations