The fallout has only barely begun from the bombshell revelations about iconic labor activist Cesar Chavez, whose name is emblazoned on schools and streets up and down the state of California.
Wednesday's bombshell news about the abuse of two young girls at the hands of Cesar Chavez in the 1970s was combined with the second bomshell that his longtime compatriot and, everyone thought, egalitarian partner in labor activism, Dolores Huerta, was also assaulted by him. And now it is only a matter of time before Chavez's name starts getting erased from the many places that currently bear it, including Cesar Chavez Street in San Francisco.
Former SF Supervisor Tom Ammiano, who helped spearhead the effort to rename Army Street after Chavez following his 1993 death, tells Mission Local today, "It’s very shattering to hear these revelations," and he adds, "I just hate it for Dolores. I hate it for the survivors. I hate it for all of us who really believed in him, and to hear this is very unsettling."
Then there is the issue of Cesar Chavez Day coming up on March 31, which was first declared a holiday in California in 1995, but is also now recognized in Arizona, Washington, and Utah as well, and marked with occasions in other states as well.
Governor Gavin Newsom gave some of his first comments on the sexual assault revelations, and on the idea that schoolchildren in California now have to learn about this in relation to the namesake of their schools.
"It’s been hard to absorb this," Newsom said at an event in San Leandro, per KTVU. "All of us are processing it."
He added, "For young kids, this is hard. Their identity is tied to their school, to this icon that they thought one thing of, and how we process that shift."
Newsom reportedly added that he had known and been friends with Huerta for decades.
When asked, Newsom reportedly said he was open to changing the name of Cesar Chavez Day, but this will take a legislative process. And some have suggested renaming the holiday in honor of all farmworkers.
"The farmworker movement is much bigger than one man, and we should celebrate that, make that our focus as we process what the next steps are," Newsom said, per KTVU. "This is a sensitive moment."
The union that Chavez and Huerta co-founded, the United Farm Workers, announced Tuesday that it was canceling its Cesar Chavez Day celebrations this year, citing the troubling allegations that had not yet fully come to light.
Top image: California Gov. Gavin Newsom sits at an event promoting his book "Young Man in a Hurry" on February 28, 2026 in San Francisco, California. Newsom's book, which he discussed with Journalist Kara Swisher on stage, reflects on his life and career. (Photo by Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)
