Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Here’s the burning Cesar Chavez question. Should he be remembered as the much-revered labor and civil rights icon? Or should he be remembered as the much-reviled sexual abuser, molester, and rapist. That is the question I had to answer. I still have the fresh, fond memory of the awe, admiration, and healthy dose of respect I had for him when I interviewed him at the height of his renown decades ago.
I was immediately struck by his quiet unassuming manner and dignity. He punched all the right buttons on labor and civil rights issues. He gave fulsome praise to Dr Martin Luther King as his teacher and inspiration in his stress on nonviolent, civil disobedience, anti-war and anti-poverty campaigns. He especially praised King for his embrace of Black Brown unity and unswerving backing of the farm workers organization and struggles.
During the interview I felt I was in the presence of living history. By then his accomplishments were the stuff of near legend. He was the titular figure of a movement of some of the poorest, most exploited, most neglected and abused, workers, the farm workers. He transformed their union into a powerful, even fearsome labor force. His accomplishments were even more remarkable given that a substantial number of the workers were non-citizens and non-English speaking.
Chavez was not just hailed as a top line national labor leader, but a top Iine civil rights leader. His name was often mentioned in the same breath as Dr. King’s as much-admired civil rights leaders.
Chavez died in April 1993. Almost immediately the rush was on to name schools, parks, and streets after him. That was capped by California creating his birthday March 31 as an official state holiday. For decades there have been countless commemorative events held on that day to honor his legacy and memory.
Now thirty-six years after his death, that will change. The allegations of sexual abuse, fathering children out of wedlock, and sexually exploiting minors exploded with shock, rage, and for many a deep sense of betrayal. They are and must be taken seriously despite his historic accomplishment. The UFW ironically, the organization that he built, led, and made a national name was the first in the door to cut and run from the Chavez legacy. It publicly announced it would not hold or participate in the standard events in his name.
Almost certainly there will be others that will quickly distance themselves from Chavez. His name on the state holiday is in danger too. California Governor Gavin Newsom wasted no time in announcing that he’s open to dropping Chavez’s name from the state holiday while finding some other way to honor the UFW and farm workers’ legacy.
So, again the compelling question. Which Chavez do I and others who admired him as a paramount labor and civil rights leader for so long remember. The towering figure in the labor and civil rights struggle or, the sexual exploiter, abuser, and rapist? It may well be both.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His forthcoming book is The Epstein “Distraction” (Amazon ebook and Middle Passage Press)