Sacramento, California — California lawmakers will vote Thursday on the renaming Cesar Chavez The day is being called “Farmworkers Day” in an effort to reconcile the legacy of the Latino labor icon with the explosive allegations of sexual assault ahead of the March 31 state holiday.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the bill quickly.
This change comes after public allegations emerged last week that Chavez was Girls and women who have been sexually assaulted During his days building a major labor rights movement for farmworkers in the 1960s in the heart of California’s farmlands. Among those who accused him Dolores Huertawho co-led the movement that eventually became the United Farm Workers.
The state’s effort to rename the holiday is part of a wave of other moves to change it Memorials honor the man Which in the 1960s Help secure better wages The working conditions of farm workers were He is admired by many Democratic leaders. Swift and sweeping efforts to erase Chavez’s name from public life were previously unthinkable, as his standing has become more prominent since his death in 1993.
California was the first state to designate Chavez’s birthday, March 31, as a holiday honoring the civil rights leader in nearly 30 years. Then in 2000 the Legislature passed a bill to make it an official day of paid leave for state employees and require students to learn about its legacy and role in the California labor movement.
The California bill passed the Assembly with bipartisan support on Monday and now goes to the Senate.
“We cannot ignore wrongdoing nor should we continue to celebrate one person when the movement itself is so much larger,” Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry said before the vote on Monday.
Republican Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo said the change is about honoring workers and their families.
“It’s not just about a date on the calendar or a name on a building,” Macedo said. “It’s about the hands that feed this nation. It’s about the men and women who are in the orchards, in the fields, even before the sun touches the horizon, and who are still there long after it sets.”
Since the allegations surfaced, California State University, Fresno has covered up a statue of Chavez on campus, while cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento have taken steps to erase his name from public monuments. Some have advocated for Huerta’s name to replace Chavez’s, and several states have already said they will not celebrate the day.