Officials reconsider holidays, street names after abuse allegations tied to labor leader. In Dallas, a council member is questioning Cesar Chavez Day and...
Officials reconsider holidays, street names after abuse allegations tied to labor leader. In Dallas, a council member is questioning Cesar Chavez Day and Labor Day observances.Officials are rethinking holidays, street names and other public honors for Cesar Chavez after abuse allegations tied to the late labor leader.
In Dallas, a council member is questioning César Chávez Day and Labor Day observances, and some are calling for renaming Cesar Chavez Boulevard, which runs through downtown.Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that Texas will no longer observe Cesar Chavez Day and he plans to ask lawmakers to remove the holiday from state law. In Dallas, City Council member Adam Bazaldua said the city should rethink its recognition of Cesar Chavez Day on March 31 and Labor Day.“Let me be clear – no political affiliation, legacy or historic contribution should ever shield sexual predators from scrutiny or excuse the harm inflicted on survivors,” Bazaldua said in a Facebook post.The moves come after allegations that Chavez groomed and sexually abused women and minors who worked in the farmworker movement, including Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with him. FILE - Dolores Huerta, the labor leader, civil rights activist and co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, is seen at the California Democratic Party's 2025 State Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., May 31, 2025. In a statement Wednesday, Huerta said she stayed silent for decades to protect the farmworker movement. She described being “manipulated and pressured” in one encounter and “forced against my will” in another.“I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement,” she said. She said she did not know Chavez might have hurt other women, condemned his actions and said the movement is not defined by one person. In Dallas, Bazaldua said he plans to elevate Huerta’s role in the labor movement, praising her for standing up “for what is right even when it is difficult.”Social media groups Wednesday rallied behind efforts to rename Dallas’ Cesar Chavez Boulevard, which runs south of Interstate 30 near Old City Park and up near the Farmers Market. The street runs through Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno’s district. He and council members Jaime Resendez, Laura Cadena, Paula Blackmon and Gay Donnell Willis joined Bazaldua in a push to designate April 10 as “Dolores Huerta Day” and discuss whether to rename Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Meanwhile, advocacy groups in Austin canceled the city’s annual Cesar Chavez March, and similar events in Houston, San Antonio and Corpus Christi have been called off. California became the first state to establish March 31, Chavez’s birthday, as a day commemorating the labor leader. Others followed.The Mexican American Legislative Caucus, made up of state House members, described the allegations as “a profound betrayal” and said it will pursue renaming the state holiday, pointing to Huerta and other leaders as alternatives for recognition. “It takes real courage to speak out, especially when so many felt they had to stay silent for decades,” the group said. “No one, regardless of their status or legacy, is above accountability.” Civil rights leader Cesar Chavez, with the United Farm Workers, speaks to a reporter in San Francisco on Nov. 8, 1979. a hunger strike, a grape boycott and eventual victory in getting growers to negotiate with farmworkers for better wages and working conditions.In 1962, Chavez and Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which became the United Farm Workers of America. He died in 1993 at age 66.Before joining the Dallas Morning News, Devyani Chhetri covered South Carolina politics and presidential primaries at the Greenville News. She went to Boston University for graduate school.Dr. Phil aimed to record ICE reality TV show in Texas, records show
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California to rename Cesar Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day following sexual abuse allegationsIn California, legislative leaders announced Thursday they are going to rename César Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day in light of the allegations.
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California lawmakers say they'll change name of César Chavez Day to Farmworkers DayIn California, legislative leaders announced Thursday they are going to rename César Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day in light of the allegations.
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California to rename Cesar Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day following sexual abuse allegationsLatino leaders and community groups quickly condemned the alleged abuse by Chavez but emphasized that the farmworker movement was never just about a single man. Chavez died in California in 1993 at age 66.
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California to rename Cesar Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day following sexual abuse allegationsCalifornia legislative leaders announced Thursday they are going to rename César Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day in light of the sexual abuse allegations against the labor rights icon.
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Los Angeles renames César Chávez Day to Farmworkers Day amid abuse allegationsCalifornia legislative leaders and LA officials are renaming César Chávez Day to Farmworkers Day following sexual assault allegations against the late labor leader.
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California lawmakers say they'll change name of Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers DayCalifornia legislative leaders announced they are going to rename Cesar Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day in light of sexual abuse allegations.
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