DALLAS — The Dallas City Council unanimously voted Wednesday to remove Cesar Chavez Day from the city’s official holiday list and replace it with Dolores Huerta Day on April 10.
The change, effective immediately for the 2026 calendar and beyond, ends the city’s recognition of March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day and returns the first Monday in September to simply Labor Day.
Council members cited recent public allegations of sexual abuse against Chavez as the reason for the shift. In separate memos, six council members requested the removal of all Chavez references, while five sponsored the new recognition of Huerta on her birthday.
Huerta, 95, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962 alongside Chavez. The pair built the organization that became the United Farm Workers union and led landmark strikes and boycotts that improved wages and working conditions for farmworkers nationwide. Unlike Chavez, who died in 1993, Huerta remains active at 95 and will turn 96 on Friday.
The move aligns Dallas with several other cities that have reevaluated Chavez observances in recent weeks. Supporters say the switch honors Huerta’s decades of continued advocacy for labor rights, immigrants, and women while acknowledging the painful questions raised by the allegations against her former colleague.
The decision affects city employee holidays and official observances but does not change private or state commemorations.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
