The danger of revering heroes
Jessica Corbett for Common Dreams
“As a farmworker women’s organization, many of us have
experienced or witnessed the sexual abuse and silence women endure in many
aspects of our lives,” the group continued, adding that “we are deeply troubled
and devastated” to learn about the reporting, and “we stand with Dolores
Huerta, Ana Murguía, and Debra Rojas, who have bravely shared their painful
stories.”
Huerta, cofounded with Chávez a group that went on to become
the labor union United Farm Workers (UFW). In her
comments to the Times and a separate statement, the 95-year-old described two separate
encounters with Chávez that led to pregnancies: “The first time I was
manipulated and pressured into having sex with him... The second time I was
forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.”
Murguía told the Times that Chávez molested her for four
years, beginning when she was 13. Rojas said she was 12 when Chávez first
groped her breasts in the same office where abused Murguía. When Rojas was 15,
the newspaper reported, “he arranged to have her stay at a motel during a
weekslong march through California, she said, and had sexual intercourse with
her—rape, under state law, because she was not old enough to consent.”
The reporting has sparked a wave of responses from labor
groups, elected officials, and others who have expressed support for survivors
and stressed, as Guardian US columnist Moira Donegan wrote Friday, that “the rightness of the movement for
the dignity of workers, for the rights and respect of Latinos, and for a future
in which there is more freedom and possibility for poor people... cannot be
tarnished by Chávez’s behavior.”
UFW Foundation said this week that “as a women-led organization that
exists to empower communities, the allegations about abusive behavior by César
Chávez go against everything that we stand for.”
Describing the alleged abuse as “shocking, indefensible and
something we are taking seriously,” the UFW Foundation also announced that it
“has cancelled all César Chávez Day activities this month.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: I spent a day with Cesar Chavez when he visited Providence in May 1972. I was a young organizer of 23 and was picked to be part of a contingent who essentially served as human shields. Cesar had gotten many death threats. I was mostly within an arm's length of him and liked and admired him at the time, but much less so now. - Will Collette
California lawmakers are planning to rename César Chávez Day, a state
holiday celebrated on March 31, Farmworkers Day. Artists and officials have
begun removing plaques, murals, and other memorials.
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial
Organizations president Liz Shuler and secretary-treasurer Fred Redmond said Wednesday that in light of “these horrific,
disturbing allegations,” the AFL-CIO “will not participate or endorse any
upcoming activities for César Chávez Day.”
“The AFL-CIO will always stand in solidarity with
farmworkers who have fought for and won critical rights over generations
through collective action, resilience, and extraordinary determination—a
history that cannot be erased by the horrific actions of one person.” said the
pair. “The labor movement was organized not only to protect workers’ paychecks
and benefits, but also to ensure they are safe from any form of harassment,
inappropriate conduct, or assault. Our commitment to safety and justice for
farmworkers, immigrant workers, and all in our workplaces will never waver.”
Advocacy and labor leaders also emphasized the importance of
ensuring movements are save for their members. GreenLatinos founding president
and CEO Mark Magaña told the survivors that “we stand with you and take this
opportunity to recommit to our work supporting the farmworker community who
toil in dangerous conditions, including extended exposure to extreme heat and
deadly pesticides,
while women farmworkers also continue to suffer from disturbingly high rates
of sexual
assault.”
“To our community, the movement for justice and dignity for
farmworkers is much bigger than one person,” Magaña continued. “At a time when
our communities are under serious attack, GreenLatinos remains committed to
that movement. ¡Sí, Se Puede!”
Monica Simpson, executive director of SisterSong: Women of
Color Reproductive Justice Collective, said that “Dolores Huerta, Ana Murguía,
and Debra Rojas are showing us what real courage looks like. For decades, they
kept secret the sexual abuse they experienced because of the power César Chávez
held and his legacy within the labor and civil rights movements.”
“That kind of silence doesn’t just come from one person, it
comes from systems and people in power who make women feel like speaking out
will cost too much or threaten the very movement they helped build,” Simpson
argued. “We stand with Dolores Huerta, Ana Murguía, Debra Rojas, and all
survivors. We’re committed to building movements where no one has to carry harm
or abuse in silence just to keep the work going. Our movements are bigger than
one person, they belong to the people who build and sustain them. We have a
responsibility to protect each other so everyone can be safe within them. That
means choosing people over power and legacy, and creating spaces where safety,
care, accountability, and dignity are the foundation of the work.”
The revelations about Chávez come as President Donald
Trump’s administration pursues its mass deportation agenda and amid a fight for
justice for survivors of Trump’s former friend, convicted sex offender Jeffrey
Epstein. Members in Congress continue to call out the US Department
of Justice for the Epstein files it has withheld or heavily redacted.
US Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.)
said that the reports on Chávez “are shocking and disappointing about a leader
that I for many years had looked up to, like so many Latinos growing up in the
US. But as I have said many times this year—no one, no matter how powerful, is
above accountability, especially when it comes to abusing young women.”
“The farmworkers’ movement has always been bigger than any
one man,” declared Gallego, who represents the state where Chávez was born. “It
belongs to the thousands of hardworking people who have spent decades on the
front lines fighting for the dignity of agricultural workers. We have to keep
that fight going, especially now, when our community is under constant attack.”
Gallego also recognized “the incredible bravery of the women
who came forward,” as did Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), who asserted that
“there must be zero tolerance for abuse, exploitation, and the silencing of
victims, no matter who is involved.”
“Confronting painful truths and ensuring accountability is
essential to honoring the very values the greater farmworker movement stands
for—values rooted in dignity and justice for all,” added Padilla.
Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernández
(D-NM) said that “the farmworker and civil rights movement was built by
countless people—especially women and families who sacrificed everything for a
better future. That history is bigger than any one person. Honoring that legacy
means facing painful truths and continuing the work for justice with honesty
and humanity.”
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus said that “while it’s
heartbreaking when leaders are exposed as flawed beyond absolution, a just
society has a duty to hold abusers accountable without exception.”
“A movement stands on its values, not the misconduct of an
individual.The strength of a movement is defined by its constituency, by its
achievements and, yes, by its willingness to hold its leaders accountable,” the
CHC said. “We will always support the farmworkers who feed this nation, enrich
our culture, and elevate our values. We commend the UFW’s courage in standing
by its constituency.”
“We stand committed to work toward renaming streets, post
offices, vessels, and holidays that bear Chávez’s name to instead honor our
community and the farmworkers whose struggle defined the movement,” the caucus
added, noting that this March 31, it will “recognize and honor farmworkers and
their arduous, essential work, and reaffirm our unequivocal commitment to
survivor.”
The US National Domestic Violence Hotline can be
reached at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), by texting “START” to 88788, or through chat
at thehotline.org. It
offers 24/7, free, and confidential support. DomesticShelters.org has
a list of global and national resources.
