A homeless man sleeps while others push carts near the A.J. Stevens statue in Cesar E. Chavez Plaza in downtown Sacramento in 2021.
Renée C. Byer
rbyer@sacbee.com
Two Sacramento council members announced support for renaming Cesar E. Chavez Plaza after allegations of sexual abuse were published Wednesday.
Chavez was accused of sexually abusing children and raping Dolores Huerta, another civil rights icon, in a New York Times report. Sacramento has long been associated with civil rights and labor leader Cesar Chavez, who visited the state Capitol frequently.
Just across from City Hall, the plaza stands as a city gathering spot for summer concerts and protests. It is also a microcosm of the capital city’s struggles with homelessness.
Council members Caity Maple and Eric Guerra issued separate statements that supported renaming the plaza.
“To prevent further harm, I support renaming Cesar Chavez Plaza, and the city should work with impacted communities to get it right,” Maple wrote in a statement.
Both Maple and Guerra added that the legacy of the United Farm Workers union’s fight for labor rights should endure.
“We must also separate the individual from the movement,” Maple wrote.
Joe Serna Jr., Sacramento’s first Latino mayor, pushed in 1997 to rename the plaza in Chavez’s honor.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 11:02 AM.
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Ishani Desai is a government watchdog reporter for The Sacramento Bee. She previously covered crime and courts for The Bakersfield Californian.