Members of the Alma de Oro baile folklórico dance group perform during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Veteran journalist Nick Valencia, service as keynote speaker, talks about his experiences of his past during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Members of the Alma de Oro baile folklórico dance group perform during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Audience members listen to a keynote speech by veteran journalist Nick Valencia during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Elementary school students take a group photo with city officials after being declared winners of a poster and essay contest during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Members of the Alma de Oro baile folklórico dance group perform during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Councilmember Arleen Rojas speaks to the audience during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Councilmember Jawane Hilton speaks to the audience during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Mayor Pro Tem Cedric Hicks speaks to the audience during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Councilmember Jim Dear speaks to the audience during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Maayor Lula Davis-Holmes speaks to the audience during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Carson city officials hold up a certificate of recognition signed by Assemblymember during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Show Caption
1 of 12
Members of the Alma de Oro baile folklórico dance group perform during the United Farmworkers Dignity Day event in Carson on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Expand
The Carson community came together on Friday, March 27, to celebrate the 1960s farmworkers labor movement. The annual event, which took place at the Carson Event Center, looked a little different this year, as so many such activities will this year and beyond.
The Carson City Council officially changed the name of the event on Tuesday, March 24, from the Cesar Chavez Tribute to United Farmworkers Dignity Day. Most of the programming, however, remained the same with a guest speaker, a live band and refreshments.
The event has historically honored the late Cesar Chavez, a well-known leader of the farmworkers union movement.
But in the wake of allegations that the activist had sexually abused female followers, including minors, and raped Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded United Farm Workers, the City Council decided to change the name to honor the collective movement instead of just Chavez.
And, indeed, Carson residents came together to celebrate the collective efforts of all labor unions in the region, honoring the specific historical contributions of farmworkers of the past and how that has translated to the present day.
“Our city is a tapestry of cultures, and our events serve as a bridge to honor the struggles and triumphs of the people who built our region,” Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes said in a written statement. “We remain committed to hosting inclusive events that celebrate the rich and diverse heritage that Carson represents.”
While the majority of the celebration turned away from celebrating Chavez, they still announced the winners of the Cesar Chavez essay and poetry contest that was put in place prior to the New York Times report on the allegations against Chavez.
These events, Councilmember Arlene Rojas added, are for the community. And she urged the community to come forward and share how they want to see the farmworkers labor movement celebrated in Carson, whether it be to continue holding United Farmworkers Dignity Day in March or in a different way.
The council has also renamed the last Monday in March — which is national Cesar Chavez Day — as United Farmworkers Dignity Day in Carson.
Carson is not the only city who hurried to remove the Chavez name. After The New York Times reported last week a series of a sexual abuse allegations against Chavez, with Huerta, one of his partners in the labor movement during the 1960s, among the multiple victims identified in the story — with others as young as 12 years old — officials across Los Angeles County have rushed to identify landmarks and events named after the famed farmworker rights activist.
The revelations reverberated state and nationwide, but particularly so in Los Angeles County, where dozens of streets, schools, parks and public buildings are named after Chavez, who died in 1993.
The ongoing efforts to remove Chavez’s name from various buildings and parks began just a few weeks after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution recognizing his legacy and directing schools to teach his contributions to labor and civil rights. Carson did the same, with council members reading a proclamation honoring Chavez during a meeting earlier this month.
Now, in light of the allegations, they have changed tack. Supervisors Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath have initiated a process to have Chavez’s name and likeness removed from parks, streets, monuments, civic art and other county programs.
“Deeply rooted in the movement that ‘arose out of the fields,’ Carson continues to champion labor rights and cultural heritage,” a Carson press release said. “We are dedicated to honoring this legacy not just as history, but as a living force that empowers every resident in the heart of the South Bay.”