(photo courtesy of Los Angeles County)
Few public figures have been more honored in Los Angeles than Cesar Chavez, whose name not only adorns streets, bridges and schools, but who is the namesake of a federal commemorative holiday, first observed in 2014. The co-founder and president of United Farm Workers union, who died in 1993, has long been considered one of the foremost figures in the labor movement of the 20th century. But swiftly, his name is being stripped away from buildings and his namesake holiday after sexual abuse allegations have come to light.
In addition to accusations of abuse and molestation of several women and girls, fellow Civil Rights icon Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, disclosed in a recent interview that she, too, was sexually assaulted by Chavez.
“Unfortunately, he used some of his great leadership to abuse women and children – it’s really awful,” Huerta told the New York Times.
Now, cities and counties across the nation have moved to rename the approaching holiday. While some municipalities, like Tucson, Arizona, have rechristened the day in honor of Huerta, Angelenos have so far favored Farmworkers Day. On Monday, March 30, just before the March 31 holiday is set to be observed, the West Hollywood City Council will become the latest city to consider the name change.
“We should follow what other cities and the state of California are doing and move to recognize it as Farmworkers Day,” Councilman John Erickson said.
On March 23, the California Assembly unanimously voted to change the name to Farmworkers Day. The bill was expected to be approved by the senate on March 26 and signed into law by Gov. Newsom before March 31. On March 24, the Los Angeles Unified School District also voted to change the holiday, while the city of Los Angeles began the process of reviewing Chavez-named entities.
“I’m proud to co-sponsor this resolution and stand with survivors, whose courage in coming forward demands accountability and swift action,” LAUSD Board Member Nick Melvoin said. “We can honor the farmworkers’ movement while being clear that abuse and violence have no place in our schools or in the legacies we uplift for our students. [The] board action helps ensure that our school communities reflect our values and prioritize safety.”
“At a time when those at the highest levels of government are sanitizing history and peddling misinformation, we have a responsibility to tell the truth, especially when it’s hard,” Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, 1st District, said. “And when we see those same powerful leaders evade accountability, it’s even more important that cities like Los Angeles lead by example. We can’t look the other way. We have to be clear about our values and make sure what we honor reflects them.”
Cultiva LA, which operates the Cesar Chavez Community Garden at 1136 S. Union Ave., agreed with the efforts.
“Cultiva LA stands in solidarity with women and survivors and supports a transparent, community-led process to rename the garden,” Cultiva LA founder Jose Miguel Ruiz said. “We look forward to working with Council District 1 to ensure this process centers truth, accountability and the voices of those most impacted.”
On March 24, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors also approved motions – led by Supervisor Chair Hilda Solis, 2nd District, and co-authored by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath, 3rd District, and Janice Hahn, 4th District – to change the holiday to Farmworkers Day in L.A. County.
“The county of Los Angeles has a firm responsibility to ensure any public recognitions reflect our shared values of justice, dignity and respect, and today’s actions uphold those values,” Solis said. “By centering the experiences of survivors, highlighting the contributions of farmworkers past and present, and acknowledging the courage of women and community leaders who built this movement, we can honor the true legacy of the farmworker movement while confronting difficult truths.”
“My heart is with those who have bravely spoken out, and with those who have carried this pain on their own for far too long. Centering survivors means ensuring they are heard, supported, and believed,” Horvath said. “We cannot look away from what has been revealed. We must meet this moment with honesty, accountability and a commitment to move forward in a way that puts survivors first.”
It seems likely that the West Hollywood City Council will follow suit at its March 30 meeting, though its members largely declined to make definitive comments.
“Because this will be coming before the full City Council as city business, I want to be respectful of that process and not get ahead of the public discussion by weighing in on a specific outcome right now,” West Hollywood Vice Mayor Danny Hang said. “What I can say is that this is something we need to approach thoughtfully. No one person defines a movement. It’s the many people behind it who shape it and carry it forward. And just as important, we have to make sure we’re centering and uplifting survivors. That means acknowledging harm and creating space for voices that too often go unheard. I’m looking forward to having this conversation with my colleagues at a council meeting and hearing directly from the community about how we move forward as a city.”
Councilwoman Lauren Meister, similarly, said she could not discuss an agenda item but offered that the holiday is “about all of the people who worked so hard to advance change.”