The Dallas City Council on Wednesday decided to remove Cesar Chavez Day from the city’s calendar and designate April 10, Huerta’s birthday, as Dolores Huerta Day.
The decision comes amid nationwide scrutiny of Chavez’s legacy after allegations he groomed and sexually abused young women and girls, including Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with him. That sparked a wave of calls across Texas and the U.S. to remove his name from streets, schools and holidays.
“As a governing body, we have a responsibility to ensure those we formally recognize reflect the values we uphold as a community,” said council member Adam Bazaldua, who was one of six council members last month pushing the city to remove all Chavez references from the city calendar and honoring Huerta instead. “Centering survivors and taking their experiences seriously must be a part of that responsibility.”
Those council members – Bazaldua, Paula Blackmon, Laura Cadena, Jesse Moreno, Jaime Resendez and Gay Donnell Willis – also called for the city to consider renaming Cesar Chavez Boulevard, a nearly two-mile stretch near the Dallas Farmers Market that has borne his name since 2010. The council did not discuss that Wednesday.
Chavez had long been seen as a champion of Mexican-American rights and labor activism, and his birthday in March became a federal holiday in 2014, though Dallas marked it the same day as Labor Day.
Cadena described Huerta as a pioneering labor leader who broke barriers for women, particularly Latinas, in spaces where they were often excluded. She highlighted Huerta’s fight for dignity, fair wages and safe working conditions for farmworkers, and her belief that workers’ rights and women’s rights are inseparable.
“Today, we honor not only her historic achievements but also the ongoing contributions of Latinas in our communities, leaders, organizers, caregivers and changemakers who continue her work every day,” Cadena said.
At a council meeting last month, some residents spoke out against the rush to remove Chavez’s name, calling it a hasty effort to strip names and symbols from public spaces without proper consideration. Others supported the change, saying Huerta often has been overlooked and deserves greater credit for her contributions.