Sacramento leaders are calling for the renaming of the Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Plaza following allegations of sexual assault made against the late Cesar Chavez.
These allegations were made by Dolores Huerta, a fellow leader in the farm labor movement, as well as Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas and were made public as the result of an in-depth investigation from the New York Times.
Mayor Kevin McCarty said in a statement that he wants to recognize city leadership’s responsibility to act, and he wants to rename the downtown plaza.
“The farmer worker movement was never about one individual,” the statement read. “We will continue to find ways to honor farmworker struggles and the labor movement.”
McCarty has appointed a council subcommittee to rename the park. Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra and Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum.
Talamantes and Guerra issued a joint statement regarding the allegations.
“For generations, Cesar Chavez has been idolized for his role in advancing the labor movement of farmworkers,” the statement said. “We want to recognize that the movement he was associated with has always been larger than any one person.”
Talamantes said that she wants the new park and memorial to be centered around the labor movement for farm workers.
“I do feel like it needs to be centered around more than one person,” Talamantes said. “And what we will need to do as a subcommittee is create a vision of what we want the park to represent.”
A sign in the Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Plaza in downtown Sacramento on March 18, 2026.Ruth Finch/CapRadio
She plans to turn to the citizens of Sacramento for input on the new name of the plaza, and she’s looking to potentially hold a public vote on the new name of the program.
Talamantes wants to start the conversation about what Chavez’s legacy will look like moving forward in Sacramento.
“We’re going to begin conversations with different community leaders about what the future of Cesar Chavez Park looks like and the future of programs that reflect Cesar Chavez in the community.”
According to a press release, Sacramento County first district supervisor Phil Serna aims to rename the Cesar Chavez holiday to Sacramento County Farm Worker Day, and to seek an alternate date for the holiday moving forward.
California State Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo has also introduced legislation to name the March 31 holiday to Farmworker Day, according to a statement released.
Eric Olvera, a spokesperson for the Dolores Huerta Foundation, said that in the wake of the allegations, Huerta doesn’t want this to hurt the cause of immigrants and farmworkers.
“She really just wanted to emphasize that her commitment to the movement is incredibly strong,” Olvera said. “She wants it to continue to thrive and evolve.”
Governor Gavin Newsom said in a press conference that despite being “very close” with Huerta, he had no idea of the abuse she faced.
“I think all of us are processing it … these kids have to process it now,” Newsom said. “There’s three dozen schools in the state named after Cesar Chavez … I traveled to 14 states the last few weeks, I think I was in 14 Cesar Chavez streets.”
California State Senator Eloise Reyes said that she has a very close relationship with Huerta.
“My heart breaks for her,” Reyes said. “I know that she is more heartbroken for the young girls who came forward to share the abuse they suffered at the hands of Cesar Chavez.”
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