GEOFF BENNETT: There are new revelations# and allegations of sexual abuse and rape of## women and minors by one of America's iconic civil# rights and labor leaders, the late Cesar Chavez.

A new investigation by The New York# Times included the accounts of two## women who are now 66 years old who allege# that Chavez abused them during his time## leading the union he co-founded in the# late 1970s, the United Farm Workers.

Civil rights leader and the# co-founder of that union,## Dolores Huerta, also said today that# Chavez raped her back in the '60s.

Our William Brangham has more.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Geoff, in a public# statement today, Dolores Huerta alleged## that Chavez assaulted her in a vehicle.

She# said she stayed silent then and for decades## after because -- quote -- "I believed that# exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker## movement I have spent my entire life fighting# for.

I have kept this secret long enough."

She says she was impregnated by Chavez and that# those children were then raised by other families.## The two other women who spoke to The Times were# daughters of longtime organizers for the union.## Both said Chavez's abuse went on for several# years, starting at the ages of 12 and 13.

Both suffered depression, panic attacks, and one# attempted to end her life multiple times.

At least## a dozen other women told the times that they had# also been harassed by Chavez over many years.

The reactions to all of this has been swift.# A number of cities and organizations are## now canceling upcoming celebrations or# events that are tied to Cesar Chavez Day.

And so for more on the impact of# this stunning story, I am joined## by historian Miriam Pawel.

She is author of# "The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography."

Miriam, thank you so much for talking with us.

As someone who has written extensively# about this man, what is your reaction## to these allegations?

I mean, The Times did# indicate that there had been whispers about## this going on.

Had you heard about any of this?# I mean, what do you make of this reporting?

MIRIAM PAWEL, Author, "The Crusades of# Cesar Chavez": Oh, and the reporting## is obviously quite stunning in its level# of detail, very shocking.. There were -- the issue of Chavez's# adultery was well-known.

I wrote about## that.

Others have written about that as# well.

There was a well-known incident when## his wife left him after intercepting# a love letter from an 18-year-old.## So 18 is not underage, but certainly# questionable judgment at the time.

So there had been suggestions that sex# played a role in his efforts to control## the movement at a period of time in# particular when it became what some## people have compared to a cult.

And so# these new revelations are disturbing and## add a whole other dimension to what we have# known about Cesar Chavez and to what in some## sense has been an ongoing reassessment# of his legacy over the last 20 years.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I mean, for people who# are not that familiar with his legacy,## it's hard to overstate the impact he has# had on the labor movement in this country.

What is your sense about what these allegations# do to that movement?

I mean, are you concerned## that this could diminish what he did and what# others have been building on in the decades since?

MIRIAM PAWEL: So I would say that# his importance as a historic figure,## not so much as a labor leader, but in# some ways as a civil rights leader.

What he was able to do in terms of# organizing the first union for farmworkers,## who were predominantly Latino at the time,# Mexican-American and Mexicans, as well as## Filipinos, that accomplishment, that success# that he had in convincing poor people and in## teaching people that they had the ability through# organizing to overcome the agricultural industry## in all of its power in California, that is part# of the most significant part of his legacy.

That is all in the past.

That has# not been the case right now for many,## many years.

And one of the things that I write# about and others have is the ways in which he in## some ways destroyed his own movement or the power# of it in terms of its ability to help farmworkers.

So I think we have to separate his legacy and# his reputation as a leader, as a Latino icon,## as perhaps the most famous Latino in this# country with what these new revelations## do to people's understanding of Cesar# Chavez the man and how you reconcile## the good and the bad that he did.

He# was a very complex, charismatic figure.

But in terms of his impact on the movement,# that movement isn't there anymore.

I mean,## whatever movement there is in terms of the# civil rights legacy, in terms of farmworkers,## there's very little being done for# farmworkers in the fields today.

Now,## that's going to take new leadership,# and that's been true for quite a while.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: In her statement today, Dolores# Huerta said that these actions in the past should## not diminish the work of that movement.

She# said -- quote -- "I carried the secret for as## long as I did because building the movement and# securing farmworker rights was my life's work."

Does that surprise you?

MIRIAM PAWEL: No, not at all.

I think that is very consistent with what# .. many years.

When I began to talk to people about# what had happened in the '60s and '70s and '80s,## this was in the 2000s, there were things# that people had not talked about for decades.

They had stayed silent, not only about issues# like this, which obviously there were people## who knew about, but a whole sort of range# of other kinds of verbal abuse, purges,## violence, anti-immigration things,# all sorts of things that went on,## ways in which people were drummed out# of the union for a period of time.

People didn't talk about that because they# believed so strongly in the power of the## farmworker movement at that point in time to# change life for farmworkers.

And they did not## want to say anything that might jeopardize the# success of that movement or might complicate it.

So people overlooked a lot of red# flags.

And they now -- the people## who were closest to the movement# at that time look back now and say,## I sat there when this happened or that# happened and I didn't say anything.

And the reason they didn't say# anything was because they, again,## sort of -- Chavez brought so much hope# to people and accomplished so much at## the height of the movement and at the height# of his power that people overlooked things## that were clear red flags because they# did not want to jeopardize that success.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Indeed.

That is Miriam Pawel, author of "The#.. Miriam, thank you so much for# taking the time to talk with us.

MIRIAM PAWEL: Thanks for having me.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, late today, the# Chavez family issued a stat.. saying they were devastated,# adding -- quote -- "We wish## peace and healing to the survivors and# commend their courage to come forward."