Dozens of Lakeland community members and Southeastern University students watch “Food Chains,” lead candlelight vigil outside Publix store in company’s hometown…

In a powerful evening of reflection and action, students and community members of the central Florida city of Lakeland, Florida — Publix’s corporate hometown and the site of six years’ worth of Fair Food marches, rallies, and fasts — gathered to express their displeasure at Publix’s continued refusal to join the Fair Food Program.  

We have first-hand report and beautiful photos from the screening and evening vigil, which we are happy to be able to share with you below:

This past Thursday, in a classroom just miles from Fair Food holdout Publix’s corporate headquarters in Lakeland, FL, a crowd of over sixty Southeastern University students, professors, staff, and Lakeland community members gathered to learn about the CIW’s groundbreaking work for farmworker justice and of the shameful, six-year refusal of their hometown supermarket, Publix, to join the CIW’s Fair Food Program.  

They began the evening with a screening of the critically acclaimed documentary “Food Chains“.  Lakelanders’ response to the film was strong and clear: excitement at the tremendous gains of the CIW, and dismay that their hometown grocer has refused to take responsibility for farmworker exploitation in its supply chain.  

After the film’s credits ran, the audience listened as the CIW’s own Silvia Perez, Julia de la Cruz, and Lupe Gonzalo described the dramatic human rights advances in the fields in the three short years since the film was made.  The conversation following the screening was deep and surprisingly personal.  One audience member shared that her family was currently working in the fields in Georgia, and that she was so glad to hear of the incredible gains of the Fair Food Program in Florida tomato fields.  She asked if these changes would also take root in Georgia.  Julia gladly answered that yes — for the first time ever this summer, the Fair Food Program had expanded not only to Georgia tomato fields, but also to fields in Virginia, the Carolinas, and New Jersey.  

Following the discussion, the audience began a march towards a nearby Publix carrying signs saying “SEU Students to Publix: Join the Fair Food Program!,” “SEU Stands With Farmworkers,” and “Publix, Love Thy Neighbor.” 

Pausing at a statue of Jesus, a centerpiece of campus, respected SEU professor Dr. Kenneth Archer led the group in a prayer expressing how proud he and other Lakelanders are to stand with farmworkers and amplifying the call for Publix to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”  The students, professors, staff, and community members then marched a mile to Publix, buoyed by supportive honks along the way. 

Upon reaching Publix, the participants lit candles and shared a series of reflections, prayers and songs to close out the evening. Silvia Perez of the CIW delivered a powerful message on the CIW’s long call to Publix to come to the table with farmworkers:

“There are now fourteen corporations that are part of the Fair Food Program, and we want Publix to be among them — to take responsibility for human rights in their supply chain.  […] Over the past six years, we have taken so many forms of public witness here in Lakeland — a six-day fast, a peaceful march of 200 miles, prayers inside the store.  We’ve done so much to communicate this call to Publix, and in all this time, they refused to even dialogue. 

It’s beautiful that we now have fourteen corporations cooperating with the Fair Food Program — they are paying the penny more per pound, they are listening to workers, they are taking responsibility, and the sexual harassment, wage theft, and other abuses that have existed for so long are finally ending.  Often times when we go to talk with Publix managers, they say that this is a labor dispute and they won’t get involved, which we know is not the case — all we are asking them to do is to take the responsibility that they must, and work with us. […] We are proud to stand next to you today, because you are the consumers and you’re bringing your voice here and together we are united.  We hope that Publix won’t take too much longer and will take our message to heart and will become part of what we are doing today.”  

Three SEU students and Lupe Gonzalo of the CIW then carried a letter signed by all of the screening attendees to Publix management, extending the invitation once again to Publix to sit at the table with farmworkers — adding to the thousands of letters that have been delivered to Publix locations over the past six years.  The delegation was escorted by several Publix representatives, flanked by police, and relegated to the side of the parking lot.  Students expressed that while they grew up shopping at Publix and have appreciated Publix, they are shocked by the company’s refusal to join the Program. 

One student shared that he came from a family of growers, and knows what it is to be in the agricultural business —  but also grew up seeing immigrant workers in the fields and saw them work “harder than you could even imagine” to feed their families and put the food on Publix’s shelves. He was shocked and saddened to hear that Publix, known as a people-centered company, has taken this stance.  Each student expressed that they can no longer shop at Publix in good conscience. 

Students closed the vigil on a resolute note, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to work in solidarity with farmworkers for justice in the fields, and committing to bring the struggle for Fair Food to the heart of Publix’s community in Lakeland. As student (and Immokalee intern) Priscilla Vélez put it, “It is our duty and our responsibility to listen to farmworkers… As members of the Lakeland community, we will not continue letting this happen where Publix has their headquarters.”

Great work, everyone, and just the beginning of what is shaping up to be an exciting season in the Campaign for Fair Food in Lakeland!