MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Explosive, new allegations against one of the nation's most prominent civil rights leaders have now come to light. The late Cesar Chavez is being accused of sexually abusing girls and women.
Among the accusers is civil rights icon and co-founder of the United Farm Workers, Dolores Huerta.
The news is already having profound reverberations in the Mexican-American and Latino communities, including here in Milwaukee.
Watch: Latina community members highlight Dolores Huerta's civic work, condemn Cesar Chavez
"My heart breaks like, I'm holding back tears," local artist Nyia Luna said. "It's so unfortunate what happened to not only Dolores Huerta, but all the women who have been assaulted, victimized, or all the things, the tragedies that have come to light today."
Luna's a Latina artist who calls Milwaukee home. She and her mentor who goes by 'GirlMobb' painted the Dolores Huerta mural on Cesar Chavez drive on Milwaukee's south side.
"In my eyes, she is the movement okay and the movement we're talking about is the farm workers movement," Luna said. "The reason we painted Dolores was to break that narrative that it's like a man leading this," she added.
It is ironic this Huerta mural sits on Cesar Chavez Drive here on Milwaukee's south side as both city and county leaders are looking to change the street's name.
"I've been getting calls saying do we want to have meetings about this and I said I'm all for meetings and I'm all for changing the name to Dolores Huerta Street," Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez said.
As a Chicano and union worker, Martinez says he condemns Chavez.
"Culturally significant or not, what he did is absolutely inexcusable and we cannot abide that in our community," Martinez said.
"Those farm workers still got their, still won their campaign back in those days and it's still felt amongst the farm workers and it's thanks to a lot of the women that were in the movement," Martinez explained.
A movement typically celebrated on March 31 across the country is no longer being celebrated here in Milwaukee.
"To any survivor who is carrying something heavy today you are believed and you are not alone," Alderwoman Jocasta Zamarripa said.
"It's unfortunate that justice won't fully be served, and you know something like that is irreversible, but at least now we can try and support these women," Luna added.
This story was reported on-air by Jenna Rae and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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