Official White House photo by Pete Souza

By Leslie Fields, Sierra Club Environmental Justice and Community Partnerships Director

On October 8, on a gorgeous early autumn day in the oak-dappled foothills of California's Tehachapi Mountains, President Obama formally designated the César E. Chávez National Monument. The designation is the fourth of Obama's presidency, but the first-ever national monument dedicated to a Latino.

Below, the president with Helen Chávez at her late husband's gravesite at Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz (Our Lady Queen of Peace), or La Paz, in the town of Keene, California, site of the new national monument.

Official White House photo by Pete Souza

"César Chávez was a true labor and environmental champion whose work helped result in the passage of landmark laws that protect our air, water, land, and—most important—people," said Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune. "His work helped link people's health and the environment, and his fight for environmental justice is one that the Sierra Club remains committed to today."

César Chávez was one of the forefathers of the environmental justice movement, which includes where people live, work, play, go to school, and worship. The farmworker movement led the way for better working conditions, chemical/pesticide ...

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