A Personal Tribute to Eric Vega.
Eric Vega passed away on Nov 25,2021. It has been a road well traveled- together.
The statement of the Sol Collective described many of Eric’s contributions well.
“Eric Vega was a father, husband, educator, labor organizer, activist, and philanthropist. He was a brilliant community leader who led by example and impacted our region through his decades of social justice work and mentorship of young activists, educators, law students, and politicians.”
Eric had a long and sustained history of activism and numerous causes.
Eric Vega was the Chair and primary organizer of the Sacramento Civil Rights Network and Chair of the California Civil Rights Conference. In the 1980’s He served as a state policy advocate for MALDEF, The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Later he was the Director of the Sacramento Fair Housing and Human Rights Commission.
Eric became a Professor of Chicano Studies/ Ethnic studies. CSU- Sacramento in the 1980’s as ethnic studies became a part of the university systems. In this role he served as faculty sponsor of the campus MEChA Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanos de Atzlán. This work assisted generations of young people to become political activists and change agents.
From 1992- 1994, Along with DSA – NPC member Al Rojas and the Latino Commission Eric worked to unite Sacramento labor work with Chicano community activism to oppose the North American Free Trade Agreement (1994). This effort included participating in election observing in Mexico and bringing former Governor of Michoacán and presidential candidate Cuauhtémoc Cardenas to California for an opposition tour.
Eric joined DSA after extensive experience with other left formations in the 70’s and 80’s.
In 1994, he served as Chair of the Sacramento electoral effort to defeat the Anti Mexican Immigrants Proposition 187. Eric focused the DSA’s Latino Commission's efforts on the California Prop. 187 ( 1994) and anti Affirmative Action California ( so called) Civil Rights Initiative. 1996 (Prop 209) .
In 1995 Eric Vega was elected to the National Political Committee of DSA at the convention where he served for four years, representing an effective Latino voice and needed representative of West Coast activism on the National Political Committee.
With his leadership DSA and MEChA co sponsored a numerous forums on Chicanos Organizing for Social Change on the CSU campus. In 2004, Eric co authored with me a chapter on Racism and Schools in my book, Choosing Democracy : A practical guide to multicultural education ( 3rd.edition) extending the coverage of Chicano history into the public school curriculum.
While thoroughly engaged within the Chicano community, Eric was always supportive and active with multiracial efforts such as opposing the 1996 CCRI. ( California misnamed Civil Rights Initiative.
Eric, along with his wife Janet Vining, herself an attorney and activist, was always open and ready to help others and to get the necessary work done in campaigns and events. He was kind and caring. He drew people to his work with his positive openness. He touched the lives of hundreds of students by listening to others, including young people, and makings them feel welcome in a broad range of efforts.
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Eric’s life was significantly influenced by the Chicano cultural resistance of the Chicano Movement which grew significantly through developments in the many arts In the 70’s and 80’s. It is well known for the development of the RCAF ( Royal Chicano Air Force). He contributed to this tradition as one of the founders of the Arts and Culture Center the Sol Collective. Today, the Collective continues as a vibrant effort to engage and involve young people in their own self definitions. You can read the Sol Collective’s generous description of Eric’s founding contributions here.
https://www.facebook.com/182779049068/posts/10158900445149069/?d=n
Within the Sol Collective, Eric and others created the Sacramento Activist School to train young people as organizers. I heartily recommend that readers interested in seeing Eric reflecting upon his own life as a socialist and a Chicano Activist in view this oral history from The Sacramento Movimiento Chicano and Mexican American Education Oral History Project (2014)
Here:
https://csus.mediasite.com/Mediasite/Play/f820eb29685345fdaa0876064fa609341d
We make the road by walking. It has been a road well traveled together. It has been my honor to have walked so far with Eric. We miss you brother. I will try to cary it on.
