The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors and the LA Board of Education are expected to take the first step in erasing César Chávez’s name from a number of monuments, schools and programs after the civil rights icon was accused of abusing girls and women, including his labor activist colleague Dolores Huerta.
The supervisors will consider a motion introduced by Supervisor Hilda Solis to establish a “community-driven process” to rename the county holiday from César Chávez Day to Farmer Workers Day.
The proposal also seeks to rename parks, streets, county facilities, monuments and county programs that were named after Chávez while also scrubbing his face off from civil artworks, such as murals and paiting.
“Los Angeles County is deeply shaken by the abuse involving Cesar Chavez, including the horrific account shared by Dolores Huerta and other survivors, Solis said in the motion. “As the County reckons with these revelations, it must take thoughtful, deliberate action guided by community and labor. The County can continue to honor the farmworker movement and its enduring contributions while confronting difficult truths.”
If approved, LA County officials will have to come up with the renaming process and implementation plans within three weeks.
Meanwhile, the Board of Education for the Los Angeles Unified School District will also meet Tuesday and decide whether to start an “expedited process” to rename the César Chávez Learning Academies in San Fernando and César Chávez Elementary School in El Sereno.
Under the proposal, the LAUSD would celebrate March 31 as Farm Workers Day while ensuring counseling and resources are available at LAUSD schools.
“This news has rightfully prompted immediate action at the state and local levels to reconsider how to properly commemorate this history and ensure that abusers are not celebrated, including renaming streets and other public spaces,” said the proposal by board members Rocia Rivas and Kelly Gonez.”It is essential that students engage with complex and accurate histories, including the contributions of Latino/a/x leaders and movements, while also confronting harm and injustice with honesty and integrity.
The LAUSD will also review curriculum and resources related to Chávez, according to Acting Superintendent Andrés E. Chait.
Los Angeles officials are already working on removing César Chávez’s name from streets, monuments and a holiday.
Other cities and schools have also begun the process of erasing Chávez.
The city of San Fernando, which has a public parked dedicated to the labor activist, removed the statue of Chávez and covered his murals last week.
César Chávez Middle School in San Bernardino covered the signage and mural as the school is now being called Middle School 318 until a new name is found.
Workers boarded up the signage at the César Chávez Business and Computer Center at Santa Ana College last week.