AP Photo/Richard Drew
Cesar Chavez, civil rights advocate and United Farm Workers founder, is shown in this June 29, 1989 file photo.
Houston’s annual march honoring the late César Chávez, a prominent Latino labor activist, has been canceled after a New York Times investigation uncovered years of alleged sexual harassment and abuse, including of two minors, by the civil rights leader.
The Houston march, which had been set for March 28 ahead of César Chávez Day on March 31, will no longer take place, according to one of the event’s organizers, Arturo Eureste.
“We were pretty much deciding whether we were going to cancel it or not,” Eureste said in an interview Wednesday with Houston Public Media. “And the New York Times article came out. And we understand, based on that article and what it talks about, that we needed to not have this march here and wait to see what was going to happen with all that information.”
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Chávez is one of the most recognizable Latino Americans in history, having founded the National Farm Workers Association, which eventually became the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union. He organized several strikes, highlighting the work of farmers across the country.
A street and a high school in southeast Houston are named after Chávez.
On Wednesday, the Times reported at least two women alleged they were raped or sexually assaulted as minors by Chávez. One of the labor union’s co-founders, Dolores Huerta —who allegedly coined the slogan, “Sí, se puede” — claimed to the Times that Chávez sexually assaulted her.
Before the Times investigation was published, several Latino organizations and labor groups tied to UFW began canceling events ahead of César Chávez Day, a federal commemorative holiday celebrated on March 31. That includes several events across the state.
“I’m hoping this becomes something that we can all understand and process,” Eureste said.