The one block square bore witness to Sacramento’s history.
Cesar E. Chavez Plaza has hosted circuses, farmers markers, protests, concerts and more over 178 years. Now that sexual abuse allegations have been made public against the late civil rights and labor union leader Cesar Chavez, city officials support changing the name of the eponymous park in downtown Sacramento.
What was the block called before it was named after Cesar Chavez?
The Sutter family donated the plaza at 9th and I streets — across from City Hall — to the city in 1849. The land is one of city’s original one-block squares. In 1856, lawmakers sought to build a state Capitol on the land, but the effort stalled. The plaza still holds the original brick foundation for a Capitol building that was never built.
The land went called a series of names, officially and unofficially.
In the 1800s, it was called Old City Plaza or just simply called it “public square.”In the 1990s, it was called Plaza Park and — more derogatively — “Wino Park” according to previous reporting from The Bee.Former Mayor Joe Serna Jr. advanced an effort to rename the park after labor leader Cesar Chavez and achieved his goal in 1997.How do residents get involved?
Now, sexual abuse revelations lodged against Chavez touched off a nationwide reckoning. The Sacramento City Council is considering renaming the plaza, and residents can share their suggestions.
Here’s how:
The names will be considered by the city’s Youth, Parks, & Community Enrichment Department to ensure they align with city policies before appearing in front of the Parks and Community Enrichment Commission.
The commission will make a recommendation forward it to the City Council for a vote.
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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.