Editor’s Note: Magdaleno Leno Rose-Avila, this writer about the recent revelations surrounding Cesar Chavez, became an organizer with the United Farm Workers in 1970 and was the founding director of the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation.
The news of the abuse of women and children by Cesar Chavez came as a shock to many, especially to those who had invested so much into the success of the United Farm Workers Union.
Faced with this horrific set of headlines and the painful details of these situations, the UFW and the Chavez Foundation pushed to cancel the many national celebrations of Cesar’s birthday on March 31st.
Many like myself joined the union as young dreamers of justice and freedom. In 1970 I began my journey as a full time organizer, earning $5 wages and $10 for food weekly. Thousands of us sacrificed to get union contracts and to build a foundation of hope.
Joining the union, I stopped selling drugs, and got rid of the two pistols I owned with which I planned to harm my enemies. I learned that Love was stronger than Hate and that non-violence was soon to be my road to healing.
In 1993 Cesar died, and by ‘94 I was the Founding Director of the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation.
As a human rights activist, I have seen many movements where the leadership had abused the power they managed. To read that Cesar had abused UFW cofounder Dolores Huerta and abused children in the 70’s was hard to read and digest.
Over the years I had on more than one occasion written that Cesar was neither a god nor a saint. I had challenged him and the union on several issues, and was almost fired more than once.
I would hope that all who had been abused can feel safe enough to come forward. And we must meet them with love and respect and help them to heal. And perhaps find us a way for all of us to also heal.
Dolores struggled for decades as a strong woman leader in a mostly male oriented movement with a heavy cloud of machismo.
Twenty some years ago she left the UFW and founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation where she builds a new and exciting home for young people, especially young girls and women, to organize and flourish. At almost 96 she continues to be the face of freedom for so many.
The UFW created a national movement that empowered farm workers and their supporters to take on large growers and their right wing friends and through a boycott of lettuce and grapes win union contracts for farmworkers.
So many activists like myself learned how to organize, challenge a racist system, and fight for justice without violence. And the sacrifices we all made were incredible. And many of us continue our fight for human rights for everyone.
Today already there are efforts to remove Cesar’s name from buildings and schools.
We know that this is difficult for the movement but also for the Chavez family and especially for the victims who have come forward. And we should not be surprised it there are even more victims.
Moving into the future we must ensure that the rights of young girls and women are protected and that we respond appropriately to the victims and their families
The enemies of the union, Chavez, farmworkers and Mexican Americans will call for a public lynching and the total destruction of the fabric of a movement that over the years has done so much good work.
As we move into all our tomorrows we must work to keep our leadership honest and build safeguards for any and everyone.
Many of us will suffer anger, disappointment, and regret and will be looking for that rainbow that we need now ever so much.
They say that when one star disappears, that makes room for three others to appear.
