When buildings or streets or UCLA units are named for some historical figure, presumably the reason is that the person being honored did something noteworthy and positive, at least as seen at the time of the naming. The problem is that there are no saints in this world.
If that statement offends you, you have the right to stop reading further in this post.
There ARE people who sometimes do some right thing for the right reasons. There ARE people who sometimes do some right thing for the wrong reasons. There are people who sometimes do the wrong thing for the right reasons (at least as they understood them). And there are plain old bad people who do the wrong things for the wrong reasons, or maybe for no reasons other than the psychological. Sometimes there are people who are a mix of good and bad.
So, now we have César Chávez, who turns out not to have been a saint. (If you don't know what I'm referring to, you must have been in a coma for the past 48 hours.) But there were warning signs well before:
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"The Union of Their Dreams: Power, Hope, and Struggle in Cesar Chavez's Farm Worker Movement" by Miriam Pawel (2009): This book is considered one of the most comprehensive accounts of the UFW's rise and fall. Pawel chronicles how Chavez struggled to transition from leading a popular movement to managing a complex union, leading to the alienation of dedicated staff and the breakdown of union operations.
"The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography" by Miriam Pawel (2014): A follow-up that further explores Chavez’s flaws, including a "vicious and dictatorial" management style that grew worse over time.
"Trampling Out The Vintage: Cesar Chavez and the Two Souls of the United Farm Workers" by Frank Bardacke (2012): A detailed account by a former field worker that argues Chavez’s micromanaging and obsessive purges of staff destroyed the UFW as a worker-led organization. Bardacke describes the "two souls" as the union’s early, successful grassroots movement versus Chavez’s later, authoritarian control and focus on non-profits.
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These books are over a decade old. Their accounts of misbehavior are not new. No, we didn't know about the sex abuse. But is it really surprising that someone who was seen early on as a saintly figure, who likely began to see himself that way, and who carried on well-documented abuse of others of a non-sexual nature, might have also been guilty of sex abuse? In retrospect, are you shocked, shocked?
My modest proposal would be to leave the name on the buildings, streets, and university units as a constant reminder not to worship real human beings. But, of course, that isn't the likely outcome. The name will probably be changed. At UCLA, some kind of committee will probably be formed to come up with a permanent solution. Indeed, informally, the name has already been stricken as of today:
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Given the inevitability of a formal name change, here are some alternatives, courtesy of Google AI:
Saul Alinsky: The Architect. Often called the "father of community organizing," Alinsky founded the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF). He developed the tactical framework for grassroots power described in his seminal work, Rules for Radicals. He trained Fred Ross - see below - who in turn trained Chávez.
Never heard of Saul Alinsky? Here he is on the Dick Cavett show (July 22, 1971):
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Or direct to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNZB1tQ9kMw.
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Fred Ross: The Bridge. Ross was Alinsky’s protégé and a legendary organizer in his own right. He founded the Community Service Organization (CSO) in 1947 with Alinsky's backing to empower Mexican American communities. Ross is best known for recruiting and mentoring Chavez and Huerta, teaching them the "house meeting" method.
Dolores Huerta: The Leaders. After being trained by Ross in the CSO, Chavez and Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW). Together, they led the historic Delano Grape Strike and the broader La Causa movement.
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Ross and Huerta
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However, in the real world I am constantly amazed by the newspaper columnists and - dare I say - even university colleagues who are certain they can see into the future and determine, from that viewpoint, how history will have unfolded and who will be seen as wearing the white hats.
It must be nice to be so sure. So, maybe the legacy of César Chávez will turn out to be a cautionary lesson about too much certainty and too much self-worship.
