2009 Hispanic Heritage Live

Colorado Humanities sponsored a week-long statewide tour March 18 to 26, 2010, featuring humanities scholar and performer Fred Blanco as Cesar Chavez. The tour, entitled Hispanic Heritage Live, was in honor of Cesar Chavez’ birthday, March 31. As founder of the United Farm Workers Union in California, Chavez advocated for equality for farm workers. While inspiring farm workers to organize themselves and change their lives, he also became the spokesperson of a more wide reaching Civil Rights movement, fighting for the equal rights of every man.

Fred Blanco
Fred Blanco portrayed César Chávez at the Maryland Humanities Council Chautauqua in 2007 and our own High Plains Chautauqua in 2009. In addition to his portrayal of Mr. Chávez, Blanco developed a theatrical show on the life of the famed civil rights leader entitled The Stories of César Chávez, bringing to life not only Chávez but various other characters from the dynamic farmworkers movement. His one man show has been featured at universities and various theatres throughout the country, including a recent engagement in London, Canada. A native of Southern California and active in the Los Angeles theatre community for over fifteen years, Fred Blanco studied theatre at Cal State University-Northridge and has appeared in various roles on stage and screen. He has performed for a variety of theatre companies in California, such as the national touring troupe Traveling Lantern Theatre Company, and the acclaimed guerilla theatre troupe The Bad Puppets. In addition, he has worked with a number of organizations in Los Angeles providing theatre education to diverse audiences, such as The L.A. Unified School District, The L.A. County Anti-Smoking Campaign, and L.A. County Juvenile Halls.

March 19, 2010
Meet Cesar Chavez at the Irish Snug, 4-6 pm

March 20, 2010
Cesar Chavez presentation at the Robert Hoag Rawlings Library, Pueblo CO, 7 pm

March 21, 2010
Cesar Chavez presentation at the Denver Center Theatre, Su Teatro, 721 Santa Fe, Denver, 6 pm

March 22, 2010
Cesar Chavez presentations at Overland High School and South High School

March 23, 2010
Cesar Chavez presentations at Abraham Lincoln High School and North High School

March 24, 2010
Cesar Chavez presentations at Greeley Central High School and Greeley West High School

March 25, 2010
Cesar Chavez presentation for the Governor’s Commission on Community Service at the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building, 1st Floor Atrium, Denver, 6 pm

All events are free!

For more information, to host a soiree or presentation, please contact
Betty Jo Brenner
Program Coordinator
brenner@coloradohumanities.org
303.894.7951 x17