Mayor Kevin McCarty said in a statement that he wants to recognize city leadership\u2019s responsibility to act, and he wants to rename the downtown plaza.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe farmer worker movement was never about one individual,\u201d the statement read. \u201cWe will continue to find ways to honor farmworker struggles and the labor movement.\u201d<\/p>\n
McCarty has appointed a council subcommittee to rename the park. Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra and Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum.<\/p>\n
Talamantes and Guerra issued a joint statement regarding the allegations.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor generations, Cesar Chavez has been idolized for his role in advancing the labor movement of farmworkers,\u201d the statement said. \u201cWe want to recognize that the movement he was associated with has always been larger than any one person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talamantes said that she wants the new park and memorial to be centered around the labor movement for farm workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do feel like it needs to be centered around more than one person,\u201d Talamantes said. \u201cAnd what we will need to do as a subcommittee is create a vision of what we want the park to represent.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/031826_cesarchavez_sign.jpg\")
A sign in the Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Plaza in downtown Sacramento on March 18, 2026.Ruth Finch\/CapRadio<\/p>\n
She plans to turn to the citizens of Sacramento for input on the new name of the plaza, and she\u2019s looking to potentially hold a public vote on the new name of the program.<\/p>\n
Talamantes wants to start the conversation about what Chavez\u2019s legacy will look like moving forward in Sacramento.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
California State Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo has also introduced legislation to name the March 31 holiday to Farmworker Day, according to a statement released.<\/p>\n
Eric Olvera, a spokesperson for the Dolores Huerta Foundation, said that in the wake of the allegations, Huerta doesn\u2019t want this to hurt the cause of immigrants and farmworkers.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe really just wanted to emphasize that her commitment to the movement is incredibly strong,\u201d Olvera said. \u201cShe wants it to continue to thrive and evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Governor Gavin Newsom said in a press conference that despite being \u201cvery close\u201d with Huerta, he had no idea of the abuse she faced.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think all of us are processing it \u2026 these kids have to process it now,\u201d Newsom said. \u201cThere\u2019s three dozen schools in the state named after Cesar Chavez \u2026 I traveled to 14 states the last few weeks, I think I was in 14 Cesar Chavez streets.\u201d<\/p>\n
California State Senator Eloise Reyes said that she has a very close relationship with Huerta.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy heart breaks for her,\u201d Reyes said. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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