Named after our former deputy director who was a dedicated advocate for farmworkers.
“We owe it to farmworkers and their families today, and the memory of Cesar Chavez, to change the law and change the reality on the ground…. As activists, we can make a difference!”
─ Shelley Davis, 1952-2008
When attorney Shelley Davis died on December 12, 2008, 2.5 million migrant and seasonal farmworkers lost one of the smartest, toughest and most effective advocates they have ever had. Shelley devoted over 30 years, most of them at Farmworker Justice, in helping improve the health and lives of farmworkers by:
- Arranging for farmworkers to testify about unsafe working conditions before Congress
- Securing positions for farmworkers on influential federal advisory bodies
- Challenging EPA’s approval of highly toxic pesticide building coalitions with environmental groups to work on pesticide issues
- Training hundreds of promotores de salud on how to reduce pesticide exposure and other health risks; these individuals, in turn, trained thousands of farmworkers
Shelley’s successes were honored over the years, with a lifetime achievement awards from Beyond Pesticides (2008), the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (2006), and EPA’s award for dedicated service on its Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee (2007).
Shelley’s family and colleagues believe that the best way to honor her memory is to carry on her work. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Shelley Davis Memorial Fund to carry on Shelley’s work on behalf of the nation’s farmworkers.
Proclamation by Lideres Campesinas honoring Shelley.