SAN JOSE - A series of discussions on the Chicano movement for civil rights and its legacy will kick off Sept. 20 in San Jose.

The first of four panel discussions, "Community Based Organizing in the Movimiento, Then and Now,'' will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Roosevelt Community Center near downtown San Jose. Admission is free.

Participants from the movement will speak about how grass-roots organizers rallied Mexican-Americans to press for quality schooling, bilingual education, affirmative action, better labor conditions and improved policing. Younger activists will talk about extending the movement today to include women's and gay and lesbian rights.

Scheduled panelists include Henry Dominguez, a longtime activist and current member of the Black Berets of San Jose; Adriana Garcia, a local poet and founder of MAIZ (A Spanish acronym for Movement Inspiring Service); Sal Alvarez, a former associate professor of social work at San Jose State University and officer with the national League of United Latin American Citizens; and David Madrid, a youth counselor and member of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a collective of artists and community activists.

The series will continue Oct. 14 and on dates to be selected in April and May 2010. For more information, contact MAIZ at 408-250-6965 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .