City Pulls César Chávez Honors, Calls for Review of Chávez-Named Facilities

The City has pulled a planned César Chávez Day proclamation from Tuesday's (March 24) City Council agenda and called for a formal review of two public assets bearing his name, as local organizations respond to sexual abuse allegations against the late farmworker leader — developments the Gazette first reported on March 19.

Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson called for community input on the future of the César Chávez Community Center on University Avenue and the César Chávez statue on the Main Street Mall, with the Park and Recreation Commission to review options for the center.

The statue, which sits on public land downtown, is owned by the Latino Network of Riverside — not the City. The two entities are working together to determine the statue's future.

"We are aware of actions taking place both locally and nationally and determining what appropriate steps will be taken here," Lock Dawson said.

The City also said it will celebrate United Farmworkers Day this year, following the lead of state lawmakers.

The United Farm Workers Foundation canceled all of its César Chávez Day activities, calling the allegations "shocking, indefensible and something we are taking seriously."

"These disturbing allegations involve inappropriate behavior by Cesar Chavez with young women and minors," the foundation said.

Cheech Marin, whose personal collection anchors the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture on Mission Inn Avenue — the only museum in North America dedicated exclusively to Chicano art — posted a photo with Huerta on social media, writing:

"I stand with Dolores Huerta. The farmworker movement was never one man. It has always been the people. Who's got the power? We've got the power. What kind of power? People power. Sí se puede."

The Casa Blanca Home of Neighborly Service covered a mural of Chávez at its facility and announced plans to replace it with new artwork.

"Our intention has always been to honor figures who reflect the values of the community we proudly serve," the organization said in a statement posted to Instagram. "We are in the process of selecting new artwork that better aligns with those values."

The Chávez family, in a statement released through the National Chavez Center, acknowledged the New York Times report and expressed support for survivors.

"We wish peace and healing to the survivors and commend their courage to come forward," the family said. "As a family steeped in the values of equity and justice, we honor the voices of those who feel unheard and who report sexual abuse."

The family said its members "carry our own memories of the person we knew" and asked for privacy as it processes the information.

The NYT investigation, the result of a year-long reporting effort, details allegations from Ana Murguia, Debra Rojas and Huerta, who alongside Chávez co-founded the United Farm Workers, and includes testimony from more than 60 people.

The César Chávez Community Center, at 2060 University Ave. in the Eastside, is the subject of a $19.7 million renovation funded by $25 million in state grants.

César Chávez Day, a California state holiday, falls on March 31, one week away.

More information: The UFW Foundation's statement is available at ufwfoundation.org. Dolores Huerta's full statement is at medium.com.