25 Mar Cesar Chavez Day Renamed in Richmond

(Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

The holiday recognizing Cesar Chavez is no more in Richmond. Following allegations of sexual abuse against the civil rights leader and labor activist, the day will now be known in the city as Farmworkers Movement Day.

The change, brought forward by council member Cesar Zepeda initially as “United Farm Workers Day,” comes about a week after The New York Times published an investigation into claims by fellow activist Dolores Huerta and other women that Chavez had raped, sexually assaulted or harassed them, some when they were young girls.

All council members present approved the change at Tuesday’s meeting, with council member Jamelia Brown absent.

“The farmworkers movement has always been more than just one person, even though one person has been the one that is highlighted the most,” said Zepeda. “To celebrate just one is a disservice to the actual goal that was trying to be achieved at the time.”

The holiday has been celebrated annually on Chavez’s birthday, March 31. The observed date won’t change in the city.

Council members considered renaming the holiday after Huerta, proposed by council member Soheila Bana, or simply “Farmworkers Day,” but ultimately landed on naming it after the movement itself at the suggestion of council member Sue Wilson.

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Bana said that she wanted to use the opportunity to rename it after Huerta because women do not often have a face in history.

“Renaming this day as Dolores Huerta Day would do more than honor one individual; it would affirm the leadership of women in labor movements,” said Bana.

The idea died without receiving support from another council member.

In his report to the City Council, Zepeda said that they owed it to all generations to “break this horrible cycle by holding perpetrators accountable” and having “unwavering support for the victims.”

That’s why the approval of the name change also means that officials will later have further discussion about sexual abuse and support for survivors.

Statewide, legislation was introduced last week to rename Cesar Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day. Bay Area cities have rallied behind survivors and are quickly moving to remove Chavez from events and other places named for him since the report.

In Contra Costa, the county’s annual Chavez celebration and Los Medanos College’s awards named in his honor have been renamed to honor the farm workers’ movement.

The city of Pittsburg, however, honored its Cesar Chavez holiday as is days before the investigation was published. A pre-scheduled social media post recapping the honor was also posted after the allegations were made public, which did not reflect “the City’s stance in solidarity with the survivors,” according to a social media comment by the city’s official page.

Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School in the West Contra Costa Unified School District, the Cesar Chavez Center in Concord, and Cesar Chavez Drive in Brentwood remain named after the late activist.

Nearby cities, like Berkeley, have already signaled that the names of locations honoring Chavez will be reconsidered.

The United Farm Workers of America, co-founded by Huerta and Chavez, said the day before the investigation was published that it was aware of “deeply troubling” allegations of abuse of minors. The organization said it wouldn’t participate in Cesar Chavez Day celebrations.