Cesar Chavez was an American labor leader, community organizer and civil rights activist. He is particularly remembered for having founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW) union.
Chavez had several qualities that made him an effective leader. He was familiar with the work involved in farming because he was a manual laborer before joining the Navy. Moreover, he connected with many immigrant workers because he was from a Mexican American family. Chavez proved his commitment to the cause by organizing strikes. Finally, his rhetoric was convincing because he combined Christian ideals with leftist politics to appeal to a broad sector of the population.