Comment from the Cesar Chavez Foundation:

As we all continue to process this week’s news about Cesar Chavez, we want to ensure that our community’s focus is on supporting the victims who have come forward and making sure they have the space they need. The Foundation is committed to being part of the broader solution to raise awareness and prevent mistreatment of women, especially in the communities we advocate for.

What is now abundantly clear is that the Movement was never about one man – it belonged to the people who built it, and it belongs to the communities we continue to serve today. The Movement was built by thousands of ordinary women, men, and families from all walks of life who sacrificed for justice they believed in. Their contributions and the communities they transformed, belong to all of them. They cannot and will not be erased.

We understand that many communities and leaders have started to consider alternatives to commemorating the fight for farmworker rights. At the Foundation, we are proud of our long-practiced tradition to honor ordinary people who have done extraordinary things but have not been given their rightful place in the history books.

The decision about how to commemorate the Movement and its participants rests with the local communities who organize those recognitions, events and commemorations. That has always been the case. We support and respect whatever decision they ultimately make.

Comment from the Chavez Family:

We have always recognized that any honor for Cesar Chavez the leader was also for the countless individuals who worked to build the farmworker movement. The movement has always been bigger than one person.