Staff, students, friends and family commemorate local activist in Peace Pole celebration

San Jose City College dedicated a ceremony to Sal Alvarez for his peace work in the Bay Area and around the world.

Many people had the opportunity to speak about Alvarez and his impact on the community including Byron Breland, SJCC president, Dave Cortese, president of Santa Clara County Board of supervisors, Deacon Ruben Solorio and the San Jose City Mayor Sam Liccardo.

Alvarez was active in the farm workers movement with Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. According to the article “Sal Alvarez, catholic deacon and social activist in San Jose, dies,” in the San Jose Mercury News, he was also a delegate on peace missions to 20 nations and helped with the Immigration and Reform Act of 1986 with Congressman Peter Rodino and Senator Alan Simpson.

As a result of all his work, in 2011, he was awarded the “Pro Eccesia et Pontifice” (For Church and Pope) by Pope Benedict XVI.

“Alvarez was like a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. You would be impacted by his life even if you (were not) in direct contact with him. He lived a great life,” Cortese said. “I can remember him walking side by side with Yolanda King.”

Douglas Martin wrote, on his New York Times article “Yolanda King, 51, Actor and Dr. King’s Daughter, Dies,” that King was the eldest child of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. She followed her father steps in pushing for civil rights and equality through nonviolence.

A prayer was also held for Alvarez to commemorate his work through the Catholic Church.

“Alvarez was a prophet, someone you grew up with that you didn’t want to hear but it was what you needed to hear,” Liccardo said. “He woke people up to harsh realities.”