Allegations against formerly beloved civil rights activist Cesar Chavez are taking the Bay Area by storm.

     According to an exposé piece done by the New York Times, Chavez had sexually assaulted two underaged girls and raped his partner during their civil rights movement, Dolores Huerta.

     Chavez’s despicable actions caused an uproar in the San Francisco Bay Area community, with motions already in place to sanitize his name from the city. 

     But how do we erase the dishonorable actions of Chavez without covering up his efforts for laborers’ civil rights?

     The artist behind the mural at The Latin Rock House, Carlos Gonzalez stated, “The movement itself is greater than one man. You can’t erase the collective efforts of the unsung heroes”.

     Gonzalez painted over his creation, “the very next day” after the New York Times released their article exposing Chavez. 

     Steps are already in place to scrub Chavez’s name off posthumous accolades, such as, schools, streetnames, and the holiday celebrated on March 31st. 

     With Chavez out of the picture, supporters of the farmers’ movement are now shifting their attention to the civil rights leaders who have been overlooked.

     Spanish instructor Armando Castillo commented, “The efforts of other leaders like Larry Itliong got lost in the conversation of civil rights because Chavez took all the glory”.

     Leaders like Itliong and Huerta are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve; both for their efforts for the movement, and for having to endure Chavez’s actions

     “It’s good that she (Huerta) spoke up about what happened because she’s helping others in her shoes to gain the courage to speak up”, remarked Darwin Hernandez ’26.

     Whether it’s commendation for her involvement in the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), or admiration for her unsheathed bravery and resilience, Huerta has superseded Chavez’s position as the most honorable person behind the farmers’ civil rights movement.