Some people in Kern County are unaware of the rich farm labor history that originated here, perhaps decades ago. Many of them are unflattering, and I think some people would rather stay that way.
The Kern County Board of Supervisors, published in 1939, actually banned the book from libraries and schools. But that wasn’t enough. They also burned it, calling it “defamation and lies.” This book tells the story of the large-scale Okie immigration to find work in the fields of California, and many ended up settling in Kern County. increase. Or at least watch a movie starring Henry Fonda.
Another discussion is currently taking place at Bakersfield College over two non-credit courses on the history of farming. To be clear, no one advocates burning anything, but it does raise questions about the kind of scrutiny given to the two courses.
One of the proposed courses is called “Landmarks in California History” and another is called “César E. Chavez Leadership Certificate of Completion”. Khan His Community His College District Dean Sonya Christian has endorsed the project and hopes to launch it as a pilot for his program in the winter term of 2023.
According to BC History Professor Oliver Rosales, who designed the course, it focuses on the diverse history of farm workers in the San Joaquin Valley, and has been used in agricultural labor, such as the National Chavez Center in Keene on Forty Acres. Visit the places where history was made. Delano and Philippine Community Hall, also in Delano. These three are recognized by the National Park Service as being of “national significance” and important aspects of American history related to civil rights and labor movements.
A special focus is on the leadership of César Chavez. Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong and others drove farm workers out of the fields in the 1960s and eventually he was a pioneer in organizing the United Farm Workers Union.
“By offering these courses specifically to Delano youth, college students and adult learners, Bakersfield University is at the forefront of making access to these histories a reality for generations to come. can stand.
Particularly embarrassing, many of today’s Latino students and adults wonder how farm workers fight for their rights and fight not only for better working conditions but to be treated with respect. It all started here in Kern County.
Nearly 70 percent of its students are Latino, and Bakersfield College is what the Department of Education calls a Hispanic service institution, and B.C. has given it the right to compete in a grant program set up for such schools. It is So it seems perfectly reasonable to offer such a course. However, this being Kern County, some objections quickly surfaced from a right-wing group called the Renegade Institute for Liberty at Bakersfield College, composed primarily of faculty members.
Its Facebook page posted: “As California directs college districts to enact political litmus test, KCCD Prime Minister Sonya Christian is calling for new courses and certification programs to learn about the virtues of the local left-wing UFW political machine. BC Should we spend our tax dollars to provide training classes for UFW activists?” Someone else said, “It just furthers what the corrupt Dolores Huerta Foundation is pushing. There is nothing about helping hard-working Mexicans who have become
And then there’s this. “The Cesar E. Chavez Leadership Certificate ran into trouble at the (curriculum) committee yesterday. Faculty members expressed concern that the program would simply turn students into UFW activists.” What?
I had to reread the course description to make sure I didn’t miss things like “students walk picket lines and vote for Democrats.”
A post on the Renegade Institute for Liberty page is missing the names of faculty members implying that students will be indoctrinated and become devoted disciples of the late Caesar Chavez. In order for course instruction to be approved, it must go through a review process, one of which is approval from the Curriculum Committee.
At the October 6 meeting, the proposed course was on the ballot to be approved, but both items were withdrawn by board member Erin Miller, who is also a member of the Renegade Institute for Liberty. After a lengthy discussion about the merits and wording of the course description, Miller moved to submit a ballot, which she was able to secure enough votes (13 to 11) to submit. I asked Miller to explain her concerns about the course.If she was the faculty member mentioned in the Liberty post, the student would be a UFW zombie.
“Unfortunately, your information is incorrect,” Miller replied by email, saying he supports teaching the history of Chavez and the UFW. says there is. However, Miller did not confirm or deny whether he mentioned that the student became his UFW activist. Miller also submitted written comments lecturing Rosales that Khan, who bans partisan political activity, should stop violating college district, state and federal policy.
Additionally, Miller wrote: It surpasses current policy by evolving the program to be about historical leadership in general. “
Rosales did not acquire Miller’s logic. He suspects that the proposed course, though uncredited, is under special scrutiny simply because it deals with someone like Chavez.
“Declaring the legacy of César Chavez and the farmworker movement is also a convenient tactic of political mobilization, and a more controversial one related to the historical opposition to collective bargaining rights for farmworkers that goes back more than half a century. I think it taps into deep, dark emotions,” Rosales said.
This issue will be taken up at the next Curriculum Committee meeting on Thursday, October 20th. The meeting will begin at 2:30 pm and will be held in his Room 231 in the new Campus Center.
Contributing Columnist Jose Gaspar is a news anchor/reporter for Telemundo Bakersfield and KGET. Email him at elcompa29@gmail.com. The views expressed here are his own.
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