Famous Chicano rights activist and high school teacher Sal Castro passed away from his bout with thyroid cancer on Monday. He was 79 years old.

Castro will be remembered for his role in the 1960's Chicano student walkouts in Los Angeles. He joined hundreds of Mexican-American students in March of 1968 who were protesting the run-down schools, poor teaching, and discrimination that were all commonplace in East Los Angeles at the time.

In a 1988 interview with the L.A. Times, Castro reflected back upon his own education as the son of Spanish-speaking immigrants. He attributed part of his decision to walk-out to those early formative years and the lack of outreach available to him.

"I started thinking, these teachers should be able to understand me. I didn't think I was dumb - I thought they were dumb," he said.

After he joined his Lincoln High School students in protesting the lackluster education they were receiving, Castro was fired by the school district. Weeks of protests by parents helped to reinstate him, and Castro was sent to various schools before finding a home at Belmont High School. It was there that he would retire in 2004, and in 2009, Belmont changed its name to Castro High School in his honor.

Participating in the walkout was no small gesture for Castro, as he and 12 others were arrested and taken to jail. He faced 30 counts of conspiracy for his part, but those charges were eventually dropped. His bravery and willingness to fight for equal rights are what many in Los Angeles will remember the most.

"For Latinos in Los Angeles, Sal Castro was as influential and inspirational as United Farm Workers co-founder Cesar Chavez was nationally -- an example of the power of organizing who personified the possibility of overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds," Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina said.

Molina was one of many singing Castro's praises today. Rep. Karen Bass also reflected on the lasting impact Castro had on the Latino community in Los Angeles.

"His life's work inspired a generation of activists to follow his lead in working to improve educational opportunities for all children, especially Spanish-speaking and minority students who had to overcome many barriers in pursuit of a good education to better their lives," she said.