Sixty years ago, Filipino and Mexican farm workers stood shoulder to shoulder in the Delano Grape Strike, igniting a movement that reshaped labor history and inspired generations of organizers and artists. Labor of Love revisits that pivotal moment, opening with filmmaker Juan Mejia’s short piece on the strike and carrying its lessons into today’s urgent struggles.

This free public program brings together artists, scholars, and organizers who are deeply rooted in the ongoing work of labor, justice, and creativity.

Panelists Victor Viesca (Cal State LA), Faith Santilla (artist and organizer), and Quetzal Flores (musician & organizer), will join moderator Jim Herr of JANM’s Democracy Center for a conversation about how movements are remembered, inherited, and renewed. Together they’ll explore how music and artistry have always fueled collective action—whether in the fields of Delano or the streets of Los Angeles—and how those tools remain vital as communities today face climate crises, inequality, and threats to democracy.

Labor of Love is more than a panel—it’s an invitation to reflect, connect, and imagine. Come and be part of a gathering that celebrates the courage of past generations, honors the creativity that sustains movements, and plants seeds for the struggles ahead. This panel is presented in partnership with Great Leap, Inc.