José Gómez (activist) facts for kids
José Gómez (born Joseph Gómez, September 28, 1943 – September 14, 2014) was an American activist and teacher. He worked to help people gain equal rights and improve their lives. He was well-known for helping Cesar Chavez with the United Farm Workers. He also started a group at Harvard Law School to work on legal issues for people who faced discrimination.
Early Life and Education
José Gómez was born in Colorado on September 28, 1943. He grew up in Wyoming. His family was large, with ten children. His father worked in coal mines. When the mines closed, his family moved to Worland, Wyoming, to work in sugar beet fields.
At that time, schools in Worland were separated. There was a "Mexican School" for Latino children. In 1954, José and his sister Rosa were the first Latino students to attend the Emmett School, which was for other children. José saw how different the education was. This made him want to become a teacher so he could help others escape poverty.
José went to the University of Wyoming. He earned a degree in 1965, studying Spanish, Journalism, and Education. He then received a special grant called the Fulbright Program to study in Nicaragua. This year helped him understand more about how the U.S. interacted with Latin American countries. When he returned, he decided to become an activist. This was during the time of the Civil Rights Movement and protests against the United States Involvement in the Vietnam War.
Career and Activism
From 1968 to 1969, José Gómez was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Brazil. He helped train elementary school teachers and organized classes to teach people how to read. He left the Peace Corps after a year because he disagreed with some government policies. He then taught at a school in San José, Costa Rica.
In 1969, José was inspired by a magazine story about Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. He decided to join their movement. He helped organize boycotts, which meant asking people not to buy certain products, in places like New Jersey, Washington D.C., and New York City. This was to support farm workers. He also joined anti-war protests. From 1973 to 1975, he worked as a top assistant to Cesar Chavez.
After working with the United Farm Workers, Gómez worked for Governor Jerry Brown. He helped connect the governor's office with Spanish-speaking communities in Southern California.
Later, José Gómez went to Harvard Law School. While he was there, he helped start a student group called the Committee on Gay Legal Issues (COGLI). This group worked to make sure that people were treated fairly, no matter their background. They successfully convinced Harvard Law School to change its rules to include all people in its non-discrimination policy. They also worked to stop the U.S. military from recruiting on campus because the military's rules at the time were unfair to some service members.
José Gómez also volunteered with other groups. He was a founding board member of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). He also served on the national board of the National Gay Task Force, which later became the National LGBTQ Task Force.
In 1981, Gómez earned his law degree from Harvard Law School. He became the first openly gay person elected to the national board of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 1983. He also wrote an important article about how people's right to express themselves should be protected.
He worked as the executive director of the Human Rights Foundation. This group worked to create a welcoming environment in public schools for all students. He also led La Raza Centro Legal, a legal services agency in San Francisco, from 1983 to 1988.
In 1988, José Gómez became a dean at The Evergreen State College. After 1996, he joined the faculty and taught law there until he passed away.
Awards and Distinctions
In 2003, Harvard Law School's Lambda group gave José Gómez its Distinguished Alumni Award. This award recognized his important work.
In 2006, Gómez gave the commencement address to the graduating students at The Evergreen State College.
Death
José Gómez passed away on September 14, 2014, after battling cancer. He is buried in Portland, Oregon.
