In San Fernando, Calif., a statue of folk hero and farmworker labor union pioneer Cesar Chavez came down Friday. Other statues of Chavez have been covered, including one in Milwaukee, Wisc., and the fate of these memorials is now up in the air.
These moves come after a bombshell article published Wednesday by The New York Times. An investigation by the outlet found “extensive evidence that the United Farm Workers co-founder groomed and sexually abused girls who worked in the movement.”
Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers Union with Chavez, also revealed in a statement provided to the New York Times that he forced her to have sex in the 1960s. Now nearly 96 years old, Huerta said she kept quiet because she feared “exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement.”
With the revelations came questions about Chavez’s legacy and his visible mark on the U.S. in the form of statues, monuments, schools named in his honor and more. According to The New York Times, there are streets and boulevards named after the activist as well. In a report updated Thursday, the Associated Press identified more than 130 locations or objects in at least 19 states named after Chavez.
“There’s Cesar Chavez Avenue in Los Angeles, Avenida Cesar Chavez in Albuquerque, and a Cesar Chavez Street that cuts through Austin’s downtown,” said the New York Times. “Dozens of elementary and middle schools are named for him across the country, as is the student center at the University of California in Berkeley and the Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. A bronze statue of him holding a flag stands on the University of Texas at Austin campus.”
Many of the public places honoring Chavez are in California – where he did much of his work – including the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument. The San Fernando Valley Sun reported Friday that the San Fernando City Council swiftly voted to remove its statue of the Latino labor leader from the Memorial Park honoring his legacy.
Riverside, Calif., is also considering a “public review of any public facility or monument that is named after Cesar Chavez, including the Cesar Chavez Community Center on University Avenue and the Cesar Chavez statue on Main Street,” that is owned by a community group called the Latino network, according to a press release. It already removed an item from its City Council meeting agenda next Tuesday to recognize Cesar Chavez Day on March 31, which would have been his 99th birthday. Chavez died in 1993.
“We are aware of actions taking place both locally and nationally and determining what appropriate steps will be taken here,” Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said.
Fresno State University President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval said in a statement this week that the monument to Cesar Chavez in the university’s Peace Garden would be covered and that the school is looking into next steps for removal. It was installed there in 1996.
“I am deeply saddened and disturbed by the allegations being reported about Cesar Chávez; this reporting is compounded by the painful statement made by Dolores Huerta this morning. These profoundly troubling claims about the rape of women and minors call for our full attention and moral reckoning by removing his statue from our campus,” said Jiménez-Sandoval.
Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, president of San Jose State University, noted in a statement that the school is home to “several landmarks and programs that bear the Chávez name or likeness.” She said the university plans to gather campus-wide input and consult community and governance groups and individuals about the future of the monuments and programs.
“We will be thoughtful and intentional. We will uphold the inspiration from the farmworker movement. As many in our community have noted, the movement itself, the workers, the marchers, and the women who stood on the front lines must continue to be celebrated,” said Teniente-Matson. “Their contributions cannot be dimmed by the actions of one person. As we look ahead, we will remain centered on the truth and respect the dignity of survivors.”
The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that “momentum builds to erase Cesar Chavez’s name from schools, streets and parks after allegations of sexual abuse.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced to begin the process of renaming streets, parks and city property bearing his name, the outlet noted.
Per the AP, Chavez’s name went from being a beacon of pride to “more of a stain” overnight in the wake of the revelations. Outside of California, it said said a bronze bust of Chavez came down in Denver, Colo., too. In Milwaukee, Wisc., the Chavez statue in front of El Rey on Cesar Chavez Drive and Mineral Street was set to be taken down Friday, WISN 12 News reported, and another was pulled from the Dallas Farmers Market, according to Audacy station KRLD.
