MCFARLAND, Calif. (KERO) — McFarland, one of the birthplaces of farmworker legal advocacy, celebrated a piece of Central Valley history Tuesday night.
The celebration marked 60 years of California Rural Legal Assistance, or CRLA. The organization helped fight for basic rights for farmworkers during one of the most pivotal movements in California history.
At the center of that fight was Carol Ruth Silver, a founding attorney of CRLA’s McFarland and Delano offices. Silver helped bring legal services to farmworkers at a time when few protections existed.
"I am very, very proud of CRLA. I am very proud of what I did, what my fellow lawyers did, and my fellow community workers," Silver said.
Silver said the conditions farmworkers faced back then were harsh and often inhumane.
"No water, no rest periods, no portapotties, nothing that made life easier for them. All of those things we, CRLA, did finally get barred," Silver said.
Decades later, many of those changes are now standard, but the fight for fair treatment isn’t over. As the legacy of the farmworker movement faces renewed scrutiny, including allegations tied to Cesar Chavez, Silver said it is part of a larger, deeper issue.
"I certainly am grateful that these women came forward and that there is going to be a change; there hopefully is going to be a change in the attitude of men," Silver said.
Silver said that attitude isn’t new, pointing to a photo from her early days in Delano with fellow lawyers.
"And there are only two women. Myself and this other woman, Lucy McKay. That is systematic, that is symptomatic of the attitude toward women," Silver said.
Despite the challenges, progress has been made. Organizations like CRLA continue to play a critical role in pushing that progress forward.
"CRLA is growing, CRLA has a it’s next future plan, is that they are going to grow and expand. And I think that’s wonderful," Silver said.
As CRLA marks 60 years, the organization and the people behind it are not just looking back at history, but continuing the work that shaped it.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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