Minnesota leaders reassess César Chávez legacy after abuse allegations
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
United Farm Workers leaders Dolores Huerta (left) and Cesar Chávez outside a U.S. District Court on Nov. 21, 1989, in Fresno, California. Photo: Richard Darby/Fresno Bee file/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Minnesota officials are reckoning with local ties to César Chávez in light of explosive new sexual abuse allegations against the late labor leader.
Why it matters: Chávez's role as a central figure in the fight for farmworker rights prompted local officials to name schools, streets and holidays in his honor.
- That legacy is now in question following accusations from several minors and women, including fellow civil rights icon Dolores Huerta.
Driving the news: Top state lawmakers from both parties said Thursday that they'll act to repeal a state law designating the labor leader's March 31 birthday as César Chávez Day.
What they're saying: "The pain and trauma survivors carry is a weight that can't be erased by replacing signs and names on buildings or repealing this state holiday, but it's a step forward for healing," said Rep. Maria Pérez-Vega (DFL-St. Paul), who plans to introduce a bill to make the change.
- A spokesperson for House Republicans said the caucus is "absolutely in support of renaming the day" and looks forward to passing the legislation "as soon as possible."
Gov. Tim Walz told WCCO Radio's Vineeta Sawkar that he supports the effort and will not issue a proclamation recognizing the day in light of the "horrific" allegations.
- "There has got to be accountability," Walz said. "It does not matter who you are, it does not matter what political party you're from."
Context: A blockbuster New York Times investigation published this week found extensive evidence that Chávez groomed multiple little girls while leading the farmworkers movement, including a child he had known since she was 8.
- Huerta, who worked alongside Chávez for decades, for the first time alleged years of physical and emotional abuse, including sexual assaults that she said resulted in her carrying two of his children.
- Chávez died in 1993, and his family told Axios that they are "devastated" by the NYT's reporting, which is "deeply painful" to the family.
Zoom in: Chávez's namesakes in the Twin Cities include a busy thoroughfare on St. Paul's West Side, a one-block street that runs through the Minneapolis Farmers Market, and an East Side St. Paul charter school, per the Star Tribune.
What we're hearing: The board of directors of Academia Cesar Chavez told the Star Tribune that the allegations are "deeply troubling" and said they are "taking time to fully understand the information that is emerging."
City leaders stopped short of calling for an immediate change.
- A spokesperson for St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her told Axios that any push to rename the city's Chávez street would go through the established process, which includes administrative action, community input and consideration by the City Council.
- "Like everyone, we are just learning about this issue," he said.
Minneapolis would need to follow a similar process, a city spokesperson said.
The bottom line: Similar conversations are playing out around the country, with leaders in cities ranging from San Francisco to San Antonio grappling with how to address the issue.
Axios' Josephine Walker contributed to this report.