Quick Take
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will move to rename César Chávez Day and replace any references to the late labor leader after assault allegations against him surfaced in a New York Times investigation.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is set to become the latest elected body to consider renaming César Chávez Day and replacing any references to the late labor leader following a flurry of allegations against him.
At the board’s meeting Tuesday, county officials will propose replacing any references to César Chávez Day with Farmworkers Day in county materials, including personnel regulations, bargaining unit contracts and additional information published on the county’s websites, according to a staff report.
Keeping references to Chávez in county materials “would be inconsistent” with the county’s commitment to supporting survivors of sexual violence, according to the report. The decision to rename the holiday, the report said, would not diminish or erase the farmworker movement nor its legacy; rather, it would center the movement’s collective effort.
There are no streets or parks in the county’s unincorporated areas named after Chávez, according to spokesperson Jason Hoppin. Under the proposal, Hoppin said, staff are directed to take any necessary steps to remove his name from any awards, monuments or programs. Hoppin added that county staff are still looking into where else Chávez might be referenced.
Last week, The New York Times published an investigation detailing allegations that Chávez sexually abused and groomed girls as young as 12 years old. Longtime labor leader Dolores Huerta, who worked alongside Chávez fighting for farmworker rights, also told the Times that he sexually assaulted her twice.
Leaders and organizations across the county were quick to condemn Chávez and stand in solidarity with Huerta and other victims. Hours after the Times investigation was published, nonprofit Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services said it was changing the name of its community impact award.
Santa Cruz nonprofit Barrios Unidos painted over its mural of Chávez along Soquel Avenue with black paint and removed imagery of him from its building’s windows. “We stand with Dolores Huerta and the victims of this tragedy,” the organization said in a social media post. “Accountability is healing. Let’s continue to uplift the labor movement and farmworkers struggle.”
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez previously told Lookout that the allegations against Chávez are “serious and painful,” and added that it’s important to recognize that the farmworker movement is rooted in collective strength and sacrifice of countless workers and families.
Cabrillo College renamed its observance of César Chávez Day on March 31 to Farmworkers Rights Day to reflect “a renewed commitment to social justice, human dignity and rights of farmworkers.”
State legislators are also taking similar action, moving to change the name of the state holiday in the wake of the allegations. Cities across California are beginning discussions about renaming streets and parks named after Chávez.
Last week, Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustee Gabe Medina urged the community to begin discussing renaming Watsonville’s César E. Chávez Middle School after Huerta to put her at “the center of the story.”
“This is not just a story about one man’s fall from a pedestal,” Medina said about Chavez. “It is a story about how often our women are asked to sacrifice their safety, their well-being, and even their voices for the cause.”
Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.