The Santa Rita Center is where Cesar Chavez did his famous 24-day fast here in Phoenix.
In my naive mind, I thought the Santa Rita Center would be a community center with lots of pictures of Cesar Chavez and the Mexican-American political movement. Instead, I found a forgotten piece of American history with holes in the roof which let the rain pour in. I found the tiny room where Cesar fasted now holding cleaning supplies and junk. What broke my heart even more was to learn that Chicanos por la Causa (CPLC) have owned the property since 2007. How can an organization which holds a huge painting of Cesar being carted out of the Santa Rita Center after his fast, not have its renovation as one of its number one priorities? And with the looks of the center, it needs to be on the fast track to funding priority. I asked for Cesar's guidance and so began our journey.
