Gulf Street on Adrian's east side dedicated as honorary Cesar Chavez Drive

ADRIAN — National Hispanic Heritage Month, recognized annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, was celebrated in a big way Thursday afternoon on Adrian’s east side.

A throng gathered at the intersection of Gulf and East Beecher streets to witness the unveiling of a street sign designating Gulf Street as honorary Cesar Chavez Drive, named for the late civil rights and labor movement activist who fought for justice and equality for migrant farm workers across the nation, including in Adrian.

Chavez founded the United Farm Workers union and organized peaceful strikes and boycotts to demand better pay and working conditions for agricultural laborers. His nonviolent activism earned improved rights and recognition for some of the most vulnerable members of the workforce.

The Adrian City Commission at its Oct. 2 meeting unanimously supported the honorary designation for Gulf Street, bringing a vision that began a little more than five years ago to reality.

After about a one-hour ceremony Thursday in which a handful of guest speakers addressed the impact of Chavez within Adrian, another collection of event attendees revealed the honorary street sign that now rests atop the road sign for East Beecher and Gulf streets.

The remaining street signs along Gulf Street will soon have the same Cesar Chavez Drive markers affixed to them, Ben Negron, executive director of the Ben and Connie Negron Hispanics of Lenawee Alliance (HOLA) Fund, said. The markers will be added to street signs at the intersections of Gulf Street and Lowe Avenue, Railroad Avenue, and Railroad, East Michigan, East Church and East Maumee streets.

"Naming this street for Cesar Chavez is a fitting tribute in a community with strong connections to migrant workers and the Latino community,” Negron said. “…Though he passed away over 25 years ago, Chavez’s legacy lives on through the many lives he touched and the lasting change he helped bring about.”

Chavez’s appearance in Adrian was among the countless small towns where he spread his message of hope, Negron said.

“He gave voice to the voiceless and advocated for safe conditions, fair wages and dignity for laborers nationwide,” he said. “Today, we memorialize his brave struggle by placing his name on this street. I hope all who drive or walk along Cesar Chavez Avenue will be reminded of his tireless fight for justice and equality. His legacy calls on all of us to continue working to improve the lives of others.”

Chavez wasn’t the only person receiving accolades for their work in the community Thursday.

Current and late members of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, including the late Sister Sharon McGuire, were honored for bringing attention to the migrant worker cause. Their work, Negron said, helped immigrant farmworkers and others “navigate the system to gain lawful status with dignity.”

As early as 1884, the mission of the Adrian Dominican Sisters was to provide care for injured railway workers in Lenawee County, many of whom were immigrants at that time.

Guadalupe and Maggie DeLeon, described as champions of the migrant farmworker community for more than 50 years, saw Chavez visit them at their Adrian home “to pay homage to them for their blood, sweat and tears, toiling on behalf of the migrant workers,” Negron said.

Steve and Eva Hyder, another local couple, have been steadfast advocates for the rights of agricultural laborers in Adrian and across the state dating as far back as 1969.

Maria Jiamez, the designer of the Adrian Friends of the Farm Workers flag; Lupe Chico Gonzales, another founding member of the Adrian Friends of the Farm Workers; Rudy Flores of the Southeastern Michigan Migrant Resource Council; Benjamin Negron — Ben Negron’s uncle — who worked with Chavez in California as well as with Delores Huerta, co-founder of the migrant workers movement, before moving to Michigan years later; former Adrian Mayor Chuck Jacobsen and his wife, Teresa, who were among the first to start the local effort to memorialize Chavez at least six years ago when Jacobsen was in office; and current members of the Adrian City Commission were some of the others who were publicly thanked for their work in dedicating Gulf Street to Chavez through their years of service and determination.

The DeLeon, Hyder and Jiamez families also received Cesar Chavez Drive signs.

City proclamations were given to Guadalupe and Maggie DeLeon, Flores, Steve and Eva Hyder, Jiamez and the Negron family for their work in advocating for justice, equality and human rights. The proclamations were presented by Adrian Mayor Angie Sword Heath.

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Carlos Casanova, an Adrian native and now an academic researcher at Arizona State University, was the keynote speaker Thursday. He called upon those present to keep the heritage and culture of Hispanics alive in Adrian.

Young people growing up in Adrian need to know and learn about their Hispanic history and culture, he said, “along with the challenges and successes we have achieved.”

Casanova said he comes from a family that worked in the fields in southeastern Michigan and on the shop floors of the auto industry. He became involved in learning about his Latina/o history and culture through working in Adrian, San Antonio, Texas, Des Moines, Iowa, and Phoenix, Arizona.

Chavez came to Adrian, he said, to recognize those individuals who were on the picket lines, which ended up being one of the longest-lasting picket lines in the country, for migrant workers’ rights that continued for almost 10 years.

“Cesar came here personally to recognize and celebrate us. That’s a huge accomplishment,” he said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Gulf Street in Adrian recognized as honorary Cesar Chavez Drive