05/29/2026
The Cesar Chavez Standard: Why Harvey Milk Should Not Get a Pass
Statement from California Family Council on HR 93 and the moral inconsistency at the heart of Sacramento
In March of this year, the California legislature did something remarkable. After the New York Times published a years-long investigation documenting that United Farm Workers co-founder Cesar Chavez s*xually abused two underage girls, Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas, daughters of UFW organizers, in the 1970s, lawmakers acted within days. The Senate passed AB 2156 by a unanimous 37-0 vote with an urgency clause, the Assembly approved it earlier that same week, and Governor Newsom signed it before the March 31 holiday. Cesar Chavez Day became Farmworkers Day.
The legislature was right to act. California Family Council is grateful to see Cesar Chavez facing accountability for decades-old allegations of abuse. The young women he harmed deserved the truth, and Californians deserve a state that does not name holidays after men who s*xually abused minors.
What followed was just as remarkable. In San Fernando, the city council held a special meeting and voted to remove Chávez’s statue, which came down immediately afterward. Mayor Joel Fajardo said the urgency was to “let our children know that we took this seriously.” Fresno State covered its Chávez statue with black tarp and then plywood before removing it.
The city of Fresno voted unanimously to begin reversing its 2023 decision to rename a major corridor after Chávez. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass renamed the city’s César Chávez Day holiday “Farm Workers Day” and announced a review of city landmarks bearing his name, while a City Council motion began a formal review of city-owned assets. A bronze bust came down in Denver. A statue was covered and then removed in Milwaukee. Another was dismantled at the Dallas Farmers Market. The Associated Press identified more than 130 locations or objects in at least 19 states named after Chávez, and public officials across the country continue to reassess those honors.
Read full story by clicking below!
Statement from California Family Council on HR 93 and the moral inconsistency at the heart of Sacramento In March of this year, the California legislature did something remarkable. After the New York Times published a years-long investigation documenting that United Farm Workers co-founder Cesar Cha...