By: Ivy Valencia Ye10th
Caesar Chavez was a prominent American labor leader, a civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers or the UFW and he was well known for nonviolent resistance like the 1965 Delano grape strike, but new information is coming to light. Several women have accused him of rape, long-term sexual and emotional abuse, which included UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta and grooming minors and that there are many evidence that can support this since The New York Times has uncovered extensive evidence connecting to this case from internal union records, audio recordings to corroborating accounts from witnesses. With this many other states including California have officially renamed “Ceaser Chavez Day” to Farmworkers Day, and other places had begun removing his name and murals from public spaces, libraries, schools and streets. Also there also had been some educational changes like how the Texas Education Agency has suspended mandatory instruction regarding Chavez. Many organizations have been reconsidering their relationships, like how the United Farm Workers has canceled a;; of the Cesar Chavez Day activities and the Cesar Chavez Foundation has released a statement expressing shock and they stated that they are working with movement leaders to support those who were harmed.