The Cesar E. Chavez statue was removed today from the memorial park honoring the late labor leader immediately after the San Fernando City Council passed a motion for its removal during a special meeting. It surprised people that the action was taken so quickly after they voted to take down the statue, which was originally placed by the Cesar Chavez Commemorative Committee.
The swift decision by the local council comes on the heels of a New York Times exposé published yesterday revealing shocking allegations that Chavez had sexually abused minors.
After the article was published, Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union with Chavez, put out a statement saying she was also sexually abused by Chavez decades ago.
Following the disturbing revelations, city staff originally covered the bronze statue of Chavez, which is located near the intersection of Truman and Wolfskill streets. They also covered the accompanying 100-foot long mural, which also bears his likeness, but the mural has since been uncovered, seemingly by passers-by, according to San Fernando City Manager Kanika Kith.
The council members – who plan to issue a joint statement regarding the abuse allegations – voted to plan community discussions to “re-envision” what might replace the Chavez statue and how the mural can be altered, including reaching out to the original muralist for suggestions.
They also agreed to take a future vote on changing the local recognition of Cesar Chavez Day, which would likely be changed to Farm Workers Day, in keeping with similar announcements recently made by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
During community comments, nearly all the speakers expressed disappointment and even outrage regarding the newly-revealed allegations against Chavez. Olivia Robledo, a local resident and longtime member of the Cesar Chavez Commemorative Committee – which decided to cancel the annual Cesar Chavez March for Justice, which was scheduled for March 22 – said the current committee is being dissolved and is “going to rebrand and take another road.”
“We’re very proud of the work that we’ve done for 30-plus years, and we plan to continue our work as we fight for farm workers, as we fight for decent wages for workers in general, as we fight for everyone,” she said. “We have a whole list of issues that we work towards and fight for. But I first want to say that I support the survivors, and I hope that they understand that we are trying to help them as they go through their pain.”
“As we’ve learned about the abuse experiences of Dolores Huerta and other survivors involving Cesar Chavez, our hearts go out to Dolores and to all the victims, and I hope that we as a city can help them and others with the healing process,” said Mayor Joel Fajardo. “That healing starts with honest community conversations and taking thoughtful next steps, including removing the Cesar Chavez statue and removing Chavez from commemoration in other areas across the city.”