Greetings CCA members and friends of higher education,

I was going to write about bills making their way through the legislative pipeline, the tremendous March in March event, and our Spring Conference CCA elections, but the breaking news about Cesar Chavez has stolen my thoughts.

This is a time to acknowledge the tremendous harm he did to the women and girls who trusted him, and to laud Ana Murguia, Debra Rojas and Dolores Huerta for the courage to break the silence. Hoping to raise themselves and others out of the dangerous conditions in which they lived and worked, danger within their own community found them. Their dignified commitment to workers’ rights has gained the respect of all unionists. We are now reminded of that courage.

They and any others Chavez assaulted cannot have justice—it is too late for that; they can and must have acceptance of the stories they have told.

As civic and educational leaders scramble to address the consequences of Murguia’s, Rojas’, and Huerta’s courageous actions and speech, I hope the women and girls who suffered will tell more of their own stories and offer guidance that will help to bring them a measure of healing.

In Solidarity,
Jon Ausubel
CCA President