Dolores Huerta Breaks Silence on Chavez Abuse, Reframing the Farm Workers' Legacy

Dolores Huerta revealed to CNN and The New York Times that Cesar Chavez sexually assaulted her in 1960 and again in 1966, saying she kept silent for decades due to fear and stigma. The disclosures complicate Chavez’s legacy while highlighting Huerta’s pivotal leadership within the United Farm Workers and the broader farmworkers’ movement, which achieved historic gains like contracts and regulatory changes even as questions arise about power, trust, and the movement’s lasting impact.