Local and State Lawmakers Quickly Act To Remove The Chavez Name Following Allegations

A bronze statue of the late labor activist Cesar Chavez was covered and removed in San Fernando on Thursday, the latest in a wave of actions across the state of California and the country following a New York Times report detailing sexual assault allegations against Chavez, who died in 1993. Among the alleged victims is fellow labor leader Dolores Huerta.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass signed a proclamation the same day, dropping "Cesar Chavez Day" in favor of "Farm Workers Day." The mayor said the Chavez family supports the change.

The shift is also moving through Sacramento. California has observed March 31st as Cesar Chavez Day since the mid-1990s, but a bill now in the state legislature would rename the holiday. Governor Gavin Newsom voiced support for the effort, saying, "What Cesar represented was a movement, the farm workers' movement, the labor movement, and it's right to celebrate that movement," adding that he looks forward to moving the change along "in an expeditious way."

Beyond California, cities including Denver, San Francisco, and Austin, Texas have also taken steps to remove Chavez's name from parks and streets.