Los Angeles marked Farm Workers Day on Tuesday, as city and county leaders moved quickly to rename the March 31 observance that previously honored César Chávez. The shift comes amid a flurry of local and state decisions responding to new allegations about Chávez’s conduct and is meant to re-center the holiday on farmworker history and labor rights rather than one figure.
City and county scramble to rename the day
Mayor Karen Bass signed a proclamation that renames the city’s César Chávez Day observance as “Farm Workers Day,” according to ABC7. County leaders signaled they are taking parallel action to sync the county holiday with the city’s move and to review public dedications that currently bear Chávez’s name.
Statehouse steps in and sets the terms
At the state level, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation that renames César Chávez Day to Farmworkers Day, as reported by the Associated Press. That law makes March 31 the state-recognized Farmworkers Day and lays out how state offices and programs will refer to the observance going forward.
School calendars quietly adjust
Los Angeles Unified school calendars now show the renamed observance as an unassigned day while students were already out for spring break, and individual LAUSD school pages list “Farm Workers Day - Unassigned Day (No School).” The district says it is reviewing curriculum and resources so that instruction keeps the focus on the broader farmworker movement rather than a single individual.
Allegations trigger a rapid rebrand
The renamings followed an investigation published this month by The New York Times that reported allegations that Chávez sexually abused women and some teenage girls, including accounts attributed to Dolores Huerta. The story led to cancellations of planned celebrations and a fast re-evaluation of public honors tied to Chávez’s name.
Next up, a fight over names and statues
Los Angeles County supervisors have directed staff to start developing a process to remove Chávez’s name and likeness from county facilities and artworks and to guide any renamings through community engagement, according to MyNewsLA. Officials and advocates say the goal is to center the sacrifices and accomplishments of farmworkers while also accounting for survivors’ voices.
