A wave of reassessment is unfolding across the United States after a report published Wednesday alleged that labor leader Cesar Chavez sexually abused women and girls over many years while leading the farmworker movement.
The accusations, detailed in a New York Times investigation, have shaken the legacy of a figure long celebrated for his leadership in organizing agricultural laborers and advocating for workers’ rights.
For decades Chavez was known as one of the central figures in the push for farmworker protections. Alongside Dolores Huerta, he helped establish the United Farm Workers union and led high profile campaigns aimed at improving wages and working conditions for migrant laborers.
His strategy relied heavily on peaceful protest. Hunger strikes, marches such as the 1966 journey from Delano to Sacramento, and national boycotts of table grapes became powerful tools used to pressure growers into labor agreements.
Chavez also popularized the phrase “Sí Se Puede,” which became a rallying cry for the United Farm Workers and a broader symbol of Latino civil rights activism. In 1994 he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and several states later adopted March 31, his birthday, as a day of recognition.
Now that legacy is being reconsidered.
At Fresno State, officials quickly covered a statue of Chavez that had stood on campus for three decades. The move signaled how rapidly institutions are responding as questions surrounding his legacy intensify.
In California, the two highest ranking Democrats in the state legislature announced plans to introduce legislation that would rename Cesar Chavez Day. Gov. Gavin Newsom indicated he supports the proposal.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has already signed a proclamation changing the city’s observance to “Farm Workers Day,” maintaining recognition for the labor movement while removing Chavez’s name.
Texas officials are also reacting. Gov. Greg Abbott said the state will not mark Cesar Chavez Day this year.
“Reports of the horrific and widely acknowledged sexual assault allegations against Cesar Chavez rightfully dismantle the myth of this progressive hero and undermine the narrative that elevated Chavez as a figure worthy of official state celebration,” Abbott said.
Denver officials announced additional changes. Mayor Mike Johnston said the city’s observance this year will be renamed “Si, se puede” day, referencing the movement’s famous slogan.
Denver’s Cesar Chavez Park will also receive a new name, and a bust and plaque honoring Chavez there will be removed, Johnston said.
In Austin, city leaders are discussing whether to rename Cesar Chavez Street following the latest allegations.
“The center of our city and the heart of East Austin should reflect our commitment to justice,” the group said in a joint statement, adding that they stand with those who have come forward.
Council Member Zo Qadri also supported reconsidering the name, saying public spaces should reflect community values and accountability.
Cesar Chavez Street runs through downtown Austin and was renamed from First Street shortly after Chavez died in 1993.
Local groups that once supported honoring Chavez are now urging a change. El Concilio Mexican-American Landowners of East Austin has called for the street to be renamed, arguing that the community must support victims while reevaluating the civil rights leader’s legacy.
Some leaders have proposed naming the street after Dolores Huerta instead.
In the meantime, Austin organizers have already canceled the city’s annual Cesar Chavez march and celebration. Any decision to rename the street would require approval from the Austin City Council and would likely involve a public process.
City officials say those discussions are only beginning as communities nationwide grapple with the implications of the new allegations.