Allegations that Cesar Chavez sexually abused girls for years have led communities, organizations and local governments to reconsider holidays celebrating his legacy.
The allegations, first reported by the New York Times in an investigative story, include continuous abuse of a girl starting when she was 13 and continuing for four years.
Another woman told the New York Times she was sexually abused as a child from 1972 to 1977, during the same period as the other survivor.
Among those who said they survived sexual abuse were women who worked with Chavez. Dolores Huerta, another renowned labor organizer who worked with Chavez, said in the New York Times investigative report that she was sexually assaulted by Chavez.
The New York Times reported many women Chavez sexually assaulted stayed silent for decades both out of shame and for fear that speaking out would tarnish the image of a man seen as a representation of the civil rights movement for the Latino community and of labor organization efforts.
Some of the fallout has been almost immediate — Cesar Chavez day is being canceled by Gov. Greg Abbott and local governments across Texas, which are also looking at removing his name from cities and counties.
Abbott said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that he will work with legislators in the next session to remove Cesar Chavez Day from state law “altogether.”
Abbott said the state will not acknowledge March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day this year and that the allegations “undermine the narrative that elevated Chavez as a figure worthy of official state recognition.”
Dallas City Council member Jaime Resendez, who represents the District 5 community of Pleasant Grove, called the allegations “deeply concerning, no matter when they occurred.”
“These recent revelations are painful for many in our community,” Resendez said. “Cesar Chavez is someone many of us grew up respecting, and Dolores Huerta is someone who has dedicated her life to fighting for our people. Her voice deserves to be heard. Survivors deserve to be supported. Our community deserves truth.”
Adam Bazaldua, the Dallas City Council member representing District 7, said in a news release Wednesday that he will put forward a resolution to officially ask his colleagues on council not to recognize Cesar Chavez Day.
He said survivors of sexual abuse need to be supported and that allegations should be taken seriously.
“When survivors are dismissed or ignored, it sends a message that their voices do not matter,” Bazaldua wrote in the release. “Without accountability and support, there can be no justice for any of us.”
Bazaldua said he wants to honor Huerta, who he called a “powerful and unwavering voice for justice,” instead of Chavez
In Dallas, Chavez is honored in the name of Cesar Chavez Elementary School and Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
“My hope is that we continue to honor Dolores Huerta and her lasting contributions while reevaluating and ultimately removing the recognition of Cesar Chavez,” he said in the release.
The city council’s next meeting will be March 25.
Chavez, who died at 66 in 1993, has been honored in Texas with Cesar Chavez Day on March 31 since 2000. Other states began officially marking the day years earlier – California began observing the holiday in 1995.
His impact on civil rights and labor rights made Chavez a household name — and a name on schools, street signs and parks. With these allegations, the future of those honors is now in question as the North Texas community reconsiders what it means to honor his legacy.
The city of Dallas and Dallas County observe Cesar Chavez Day on March 31.
In Fort Worth, permits for an ICE Out protest planned by the Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta Committee of Tarrant County had not been canceled as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, a spokesperson for the city told KERA News. The committee did not respond to a request for comment from KERA media partner Fort Worth Report.
Tevita Uhatafe, an executive board member with the Tarrant County AFL-CIO, said local labor organizers are reeling from the news, but they're also thinking about what healing looks like.
Supporting and honoring Huerta is a big part of that, he said.
"The fact that Dolores Huerta, someone who the labor movement regards as a leader and as an advocate for workers for several generations, it is sad that she had to endure this for so long," he told KERA News. "This is a time for the labor movement to rally around Dolores and show her what she really means to us and that she was the labor leader that we should have always been celebrating. Because her story was just so genuine and it is a story of endurance and we should all be so proud to be a part of Dolores Huerta's legacy."
He suggested streets, schools and holidays should be renamed after Huerta and that many inside the labor movement already saw her work as more influential and impactful than Chavez's.
The allegations against Chavez have left many in the local labor movement hurting, Uhatafe said. Chavez was a figurehead in the movement whose legacy inspired and drove labor organization efforts locally and across the country. He said the healing process starts with candid conversations, acknowledging harm and supporting survivors.
He also emphasized that despite his fame, Chavez was not himself the labor movement.
"The movement is bigger than one person," Uhatafe said. "Although we held Cesar Chavez very high as a movement, we still have to put into perspective that it's the people that move our movement."
He said AFL-CIO is also looking to the United Farm Workers to set the direction for how other unions will respond.
The United Farm Workers, a union with which Chavez was heavily associated, said in a news release Wednesday it will not be party to any Cesar Chavez Day activities.
"Instead, we call on our allies and supporters to take part in immigration justice events and acts of service to support farmworkers or empower vulnerable people in their own communities," the release read.
The union said it has not heard any allegations about Chavez firsthand.
"However, the allegations are serious enough that we feel compelled to take urgent steps to learn more and provide space for people who may have been victimized to find support and to share their stories if that is what they choose," the union wrote in the news release.
The UFW will be working in the coming weeks to establish a channel for survivors of harm Chavez may have caused to share experiences, identify the current impacts and harm and possibly "participate in a collective process to develop mechanisms for repair and accountability," according to the release. The channel would be external, confidential and independent of the UFW.
The union said it is thankful to experts who can help seek truth and take the first steps toward healing.
"These allegations have been profoundly shocking. We need some time to get this right, including to ensure robust, trauma-informed services are available to those who may need it," the UFW release said. "We understand this will be tremendously painful for many and we encourage our community to seek mental health support if they experience distress. Today’s UFW is a modern and progressive labor union and we will seek to learn from our history."
This story has been updated with comments from Gov. Greg Abbott and Dallas City Council member Adam Bazaldua.
— KERA News reporter Penelope Rivera and Collaborations Editor Juan Antonio Ramos contributed to this story.
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