OAKLAND, Calif. – March 31, 2025 – Dolores Huerta’s public statement, as well as The New York Times investigative report on the abuse and misconduct of Cesar Chavez, weighs heavy on our hearts.
As an organization that advocates for the safety and joy of our communities, we want to make one thing clear: we believe survivors. We understand that this heartbreaking news is more common than most think. For far too long, survivors have been silenced by people in positions of power, even those within our movements.
Leaders are an integral part of any movement, but they are nothing without the support of their community. The reality is that every movement takes a community to help build and sustain it.
As we help build and uplift the next generation of leaders, we cannot let history repeat itself. Leadership comes with the responsibility to earn and maintain trust, and that trust should not be taken advantage of.
We need leaders who are hungry for change, not power. Cesar Chavez helped create a better world for farmworkers, and he abused his power. We can have immense gratitude for those who led and fought in the Farmworker Revolution–or any other civil rights movement, for that matter–and want accountability from those who have caused harm. In the words of Dolores Huerta:
The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual. Cesar’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people. We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever.
It does not matter how long it’s been or if the perpetrator is no longer with us. We honor the bravery of all survivors who come forward, and their stories need to not only be heard but also believed. That is how we strengthen our movements, our communities, our people.
Resources:
- Sexual assault survivor resources: https://doloreshuerta.org/sexual_assault_resources/
- Statement from Dolores Huerta: https://medium.com/@dolores_huerta/march-18-2026-e74c20430555?
- The New York Times Report: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html
Learn more about the Farmworkers Revolution:
- Who was Maria Moreno?: https://lpbp.org/maria-moreno-and-her-fight-for-americas-farmworkers/
- The life and legacy of Larry Itliong: https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2024/larry-itliong-timeline/
- Dolores Huerta’s story: https://oursharedfuture.si.edu/stories/community-organizing-the-chicano-movement-and-challenging-gender-normsv
- Filipinos in the Farmworker Revolution: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/09/16/440861458/grapes-of-wrath-the-forgotten-filipinos-who-led-a-farmworker-revolution
