It is with much sadness that I share these words with you. On Sunday March 8, 2009, in the early hours of the morning on International Womyns Day, the international movement for the liberation of all oppressed people's lost a fierce womyn warrior--Maria Ester Tejada.
Going Home
Esther was in El Salvador helping get out the vote for this weekend's upcoming presidential election. She had gone home to support the Frente Farabundo Marti para Liberación Nacional (FMLN) [1] presidential candidate Mauricio Funes [2]. She died in her sleep the night after a huge celebration of their elections work and on the last day allowed for campaigning pre-election day with over 300,000 other supporters.
Remembering: Camarada del SDP
In the last 3 years, I had the pleasure of being Ester's Bus Riders Union contact and I'm sure each one of you can attest to her sense of humor, commitment, sarcasm, loud voice and overall fierceness!!
Ester had been a key member with the Bus Riders Union since 2003 when she was recruited by her good friend and Salvadoreña camarada Maria Guardado. Since they were both "Maria," she asked to be called "Ester" instead. She used to tease her friend Maria for always stealing the camera's attention. But yesterday, Maria came into the office and told us, "Look at her now, she's on the front page of Hoy." [3]
Ester organized on the buses, testified at MTA and City Hall, represented the Pico Union community, was a member of the BRU mailing committee and an important internationalist pole inside our monthly membership meetings.
She was always wise cracking and yet always ready to do her part in building a multi-racial grassroots progressive movement in Los Angeles. Beyond her work with the Bus Riders Union, she had been a very active organizer in the FMLN's community-based committees established in Los Angeles in 2004 - which organized study circles, movie nights and fundraiser. Ester was also a key leader of Coalition LA [4] and had volunteered at Clinica Monseñor Romero [5] to improve her neighborhood. She will be surely missed!
Memorial Service
Ester was buried on Monday in her motherland...please keep her family in your prayers...we will be planning a memorium for the BRU monthly meeting on March 21st [6] to pay homage to a fierce womyn warrior and now ancestor.
Maria Ester Tejada, Presente!