In a stunning, lightning-fast fall from grace, California lawmakers voted on Thursday to officially strip the name of disgraced labor icon César Chávez from the state’s calendar.
The move comes just one week after a bombshell investigation unearthed indefensible allegations that the United Farm Workers co-founder was a serial sexual predator.
Assembly Bill 2156 immediately, officially re-brands the March 31 holiday from Cesar Chavez Day to just “Farmworkers Day” just in time for next week’s celebration.
For decades, Chavez was the untouchable saint of the American left — a man whose name is plastered on countless schools, and parks. But that legacy hit a brick wall last week when detailed accounts of Chavez allegedly abusing women and young girls during the height of his labor movement came out.
The reaction in Sacramento was a rare moment of unanimous panic, with lawmakers voting 37-0 in the Senate to erase him.
Assembly Bill 2156 re-brands the March 31 holiday from Cesar Chavez Day to just “Farmworkers Day.”
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The move comes a week after allegations that the UFW co-founder was a serial sexual predator. Getty Images
“Our farm workers remind us that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect,” Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón said on the Senate floor. “Their days and their lives inspire us to push for a better California.”
Since the allegations surfaced, California State University, Fresno covered up its Chavez campus statue, while cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento have moved to yank his name off public landmarks. Activists are now pushing to swap in Dolores Huerta — and several states are already ditching the holiday altogether.
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