77. Heroes, Harm and History: Chavez's Legacy and Women's History Month

77. Heroes, Harm and History: Chavez's Legacy and Women's History Month

From Intersectionality Matters! by African American Policy Forum

March 31, 2026 · 41 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the legacy of Cesar Chavez in light of recent sexual abuse allegations and the implications for women's history and survivor disclosure.

On Cesar Chavez Day and the close of Women's History Month, host Kimberlé Crenshaw and award-winning radio host Kaye Wise Whitehead unpack a painful reckoning: recent New York Times revelations of sexual abuse by labor icon Cesar Chavez, including allegations from movement co-founder Dolores Huerta, who broke her silence at age 95. Together they explore why survivors delay disclosure, how hero worship in liberation movements hurts women and girls, and the tension between honoring a movement's legacy while confronting its darkest truths. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Clips in this episode from: PBS News Hour: Investigation uncovers sexual abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez ABC News: Dolores Huerta: Her Words, Her Movement Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Pre-order Backtalker: An American Memoir and find a book tour date near you at www.kimberlécrenshaw.com

People in this episode

Host: Kimberlé Crenshaw

Guest: Kaye Wise Whitehead

Topics covered

  • Cesar Chavez
  • Women's History Month
  • sexual abuse allegations
  • hero worship
  • survivor disclosure
  • labor movements
  • legacy and truth

Keywords

  • Cesar Chavez
  • Dolores Huerta
  • sexual abuse
  • Women's History Month
  • hero worship
  • survivor
  • labor movements

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Times, PBS News Hour, ABC News

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