A good man is a rare thing. Individuals who have the tenacity, charisma and force of will to do something great with that quality are even harder to come by.

Cesar Chavez was one of these people.

Chavez, who was remembered on March 31, led a hard life. Stirred by a childhood marred by injustice, he went on to form the United Farm Workers with Dolores Huerta in 1962. The UFW strived for better working conditions, eventually getting fresh water and bathrooms to be provided for workers. Chavez’s most famous methods for change included the Delano grape strike, 36-day fast and a 340-mile march from Delano to Sacramento. He cited Mahatma Gandhi, St. Francis and Dr. Martin Luther King as inspiration for his methods.

Even if non-violence is the order of the day, some followers can get out of hand. A mob set fire to a police station and killed 21 people during Gandhi’s first nonviolent protest for India’s independence in 1922. It is possible that followers of Chavez took to intimidating means to accomplish their goal, but neither Chavez nor those who supported him ever advocate this. The people who have worked and continue to work for the rights of farm workers deserve respect for their efforts.

Throughout the end of March and beginning of April, people throughout California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Michigan, Utah and New Mexico gathered and celebrated Chavez for his work. The legacy that Cesar Chavez has left is one of humanitarianism.

Chavez improved conditions for migrant farm workers, and many respect him for that. When people die, those who loved them tend to let the bad memories fade and keep the beautiful ones alive.

Cesar Chavez is someone who left his community in a better place than when he found it.

The good he did outweighs rumors. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating the positive accomplishments of a man who changed people’s lives for the better.