Sacramento city leaders will plan to rename a downtown park after sexual abuse allegations against the late civil rights leader César Chávez.César Chávez Plaza is located across from City Hall between J and I streets and 9th and 10th streets. Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty said Wednesday that he is appointing a City Council subcommittee to rename the plaza comprised of Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra, and Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum. “As someone who supported and participated in UFW and Chavez Day marches for 30 years, I’m personally saddened and disturbed by the allegations against Cesar Chavez,” McCarty said. “We take these allegations seriously and will ensure the naming of our City facilities aligns with our values.”“The farmworker movement was never about one individual, and we will continue to find ways to honor farm worker struggles and the labor movement,” he added. “We’re stewards of the past and the present, and recognize our responsibility to act.”Councilmembers Guerra and Talamantes issued a joint statement condemning Chávez and standing with survivors of sexual assault.“This news deeply affects the farmworker, labor, and Latino communities, as well as residents here in Sacramento and across the country,” the said. “For generations, Cesar Chavez has been idolized for his role in advancing the labor movement of farmworkers. We want to recognize that the movement he was associated with has always been larger than any one person.Now more than ever, we need to stay focused on supporting farmworkers, working families, and protecting the rights of our immigrant communities, especially as we face uncertainty at the federal level. As Latino leaders who have worked in the fields and whose parents were farmworkers, this news is personal and devastating. We will be meeting with other leaders to begin the conversations of how we move forward together as a community. La lucha sigue.”Councilmember Mai Vang also released a statement in support of renaming the park. Her statement praised Dolores Huerta, a co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America, who revealed that she was among the victims of Chávez’s abuse. “Dolores Huerta has fought for justice her entire life and given voice to the voiceless,” Vang said. “Her courage in coming forward today is a testament to who she is — someone who has always stood up for farmworkers, for women, for every person told they don’t matter. I stand with her and the other survivors who have suffered in silence. One man does not define the legacy of the farmworkers, our immigration battles for equity and justice, and the path we walk forward. I support renaming the park and believe we need to center the farmworkers and union siblings who have never stopped fighting in the fields, on the picket lines, and in the streets. Their struggle for dignity and justice is as urgent as ever.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Sacramento city leaders will plan to rename a downtown park after sexual abuse allegations against the late Civil Rights leader César Chávez.
César Chávez Plaza is located across from City Hall between J and I streets and 9th and 10th Streets.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty said Wednesday that he is appointing a City Council subcommittee to rename the plaza comprised of Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra, and Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum.
“As someone who supported and participated in UFW and Chavez Day marches for 30 years, I’m personally saddened and disturbed by the allegations against Cesar Chavez,” McCarty said. “We take these allegations seriously and will ensure the naming of our City facilities aligns with our values.”
“The farmworker movement was never about one individual, and we will continue to find ways to honor farm worker struggles and the labor movement,” he added. “We’re stewards of the past and the present, and recognize our responsibility to act.”
Councilmembers Guerra and Talamantes issued a joint statement condemning Chávez and standing with survivors of sexual assault.
“This news deeply affects the farmworker, labor, and Latino communities, as well as residents here in Sacramento and across the country,” the said. “For generations, Cesar Chavez has been idolized for his role in advancing the labor movement of farmworkers. We want to recognize that the movement he was associated with has always been larger than any one person.
Now more than ever, we need to stay focused on supporting farmworkers, working families, and protecting the rights of our immigrant communities, especially as we face uncertainty at the federal level. As Latino leaders who have worked in the fields and whose parents were farmworkers, this news is personal and devastating. We will be meeting with other leaders to begin the conversations of how we move forward together as a community. La lucha sigue.”
Councilmember Mai Vang also released a statement in support of renaming the park. Her statement praised Dolores Huerta, a co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America, who revealed that she was among the victims of Chávez’s abuse.
“Dolores Huerta has fought for justice her entire life and given voice to the voiceless,” Vang said. “Her courage in coming forward today is a testament to who she is — someone who has always stood up for farmworkers, for women, for every person told they don’t matter. I stand with her and the other survivors who have suffered in silence. One man does not define the legacy of the farmworkers, our immigration battles for equity and justice, and the path we walk forward. I support renaming the park and believe we need to center the farmworkers and union siblings who have never stopped fighting in the fields, on the picket lines, and in the streets. Their struggle for dignity and justice is as urgent as ever.”
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel