All the current allegations against Cesar Chavez reminds me of that maxim. What he and his fellows accomplished for farm workers was undeniably crucial.

Doesn't mean he wasn't a rather terrible human being on other fronts, and honors in his name should absolutely be removed. This also might be a good time to realize that, while he led the movement, it wasn't a one-man show. Others (including one of his main accusers) were crucial to the labor movement's success. It just occurred at a time when women's contributions to such things were routinely minimized. (Hidden Figures.)

As someone who studies Alexander the Great, this is a paradox I wrestle with all the time. How do we acknowledge the astonishing while condemning the immoral? Too often, people can't hold such contradictory things in their minds at once, which can lead to simplistic readings of history. That, frankly, fucks with our ability to properly understand our own past. And our future.

The New York Times article is very well written and reported but I wouldn't read it if you think it might harm you (there are descriptions of grooming, sexual assault, and rape of both children and young women - as well as prominent labor organizations choosing not to investigate the allegations).