The Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced on Mar. 20 that its annual Mass honoring Cesar Chavez will not be held this year following new allegations of sexual abuse against the late civil rights leader.
The cancellation comes after the Chavez family withdrew support for the event, days before a March 18 New York Times report detailed claims that Chavez had groomed and sexually abused underage girls during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. The report also included accusations that he sexually assaulted Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers and a longtime ally.
“We agreed with the family’s decision,” the archdiocese said in a statement. “The recent news reports of the allegations are disturbing.”
The annual Mass is typically held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels around March 31, which has been recognized as a federal holiday in honor of Chavez since 2014. The event usually draws hundreds of farmworkers and labor activists to commemorate his legacy.
Public response to these revelations has been swift. Within two days, murals and statues dedicated to Chavez across California were removed or covered. State lawmakers have also acted by removing his name from the March 31 holiday, now calling it “Farmworkers Day.” The city of Los Angeles announced plans to rename its own holiday on the last Monday in March as “Farm Workers Day” and will begin changing signs, parks, and other city properties currently named after Chavez.
These developments mark a significant shift in how communities recognize figures associated with social justice movements when new information about their conduct emerges.
