On Delores, Cesar, and Doing It For "The Culture"
TW: Mentions of sexual abuse, predatory actions.
The Venn diagram of sexual abuse, power, and societal and cultural constructs of masculinity and “taking one for the culture/movement” dynamics always leaves me angry and sick to my stomach.
Dolores Huerta is 96 years old. Throughout her entire career of civil and human rights activism, she has had to hold sexual abuse in her body at the hands of Cesar Chavez. For over 50 years. She birthed two children from this sexual abuse and assault, both of whom she had to hide her relationship and connection to “for the culture.” Countless other women have carried similar experiences of abuse at the hands of Cesar Chavez in their bodies for decades. It all comes back to these women feeling they had to put the movement before themselves, because society and culture had ingrained in them that speaking out against a man who positioned himself as the movement’s figurehead in real time would’ve jeopardized the work.
One of the saddest parts of that notion is that there is likely some truth to it.
These women would’ve likely been discredited and possibly attacked and ostracized by folx in their community. Their plight would’ve been perverted and twisted by hate-filled white supremacists. They likely would’ve been treated as if they were trying to destroy the movement they tirelessly dedicated themselves to. White U.S. America at the time would’ve conjured up all sorts of stereotypes and bigoted narratives to discredit the work these women were doing and to fight against any civil rights advancements by characterizing Cesar as a monster, but not for the reasons he should be viewed as such.
And the fact that we can’t sit here and say this wouldn’t happen or isn’t happening today speaks volumes about how women are viewed and disrespected in movements, even when they are the ones showing up and doing the heavy lifting.
Women shouldn’t have to constantly sacrifice themselves, physically, mentally, and emotionally, for toxic, abusive men and “the culture.” They shouldn’t have to fear for their safety or face ostracization for speaking truth to power and seeking accountability. And most importantly, women shouldn’t always have to fight an uphill battle to be believed when a man has abused and harmed them and others in their community.
Believe Delores.
Believe women.
Believe that the culture and the movement will survive and thrive if we remove cancerous individuals from the equation, even if they’ve positioned themselves as figureheads.
And take some time to evaluate why it’s so hard for so many of y’all to believe that way too many “decent” men are using that facade to do the opposite of decent things to those they deem vulnerable and lacking credibility.
Doing all of that believing and taking action?
THAT is “for the culture.”
Anything else is cosigning harm and abuse.
Read Delores Huerta’s statement here.
Read the NYT article “Cesar Chavez, a Civil Rights Icon, Is Accused of Abusing Girls for Years” here.