This story has been updated.<\/p>\n
As cities across the nation reel from shocking\u00a0sexual misconduct allegations<\/a>\u00a0surrounding the late civil rights leader\u00a0Cesar Chavez, San Antonio is now among those considering changing a street named in his honor.<\/p>\n City officials on Monday launched a public survey seeking input on what to rename Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard<\/a> between Southwest 36th and South Hackberry streets.<\/p>\n The one-minute survey, available in English and Spanish is open through April 2, asking residents \u2014 particularly those who live along the street \u2014 to weigh in on whether the street should go back to Durango Boulevard or receive a new name.<\/p>\n The council renamed the historic Durango Boulevard<\/a> after Ch\u00e1vez in 2011.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the city, any proposed name must meet established criteria, including reflecting the neighborhood\u2019s history or character, honoring notable figures or aligning with broader community values. Practical considerations, such as avoiding confusion with similar street names, may also factor into the decision.<\/p>\n In addition to the online survey, the city plans to hold public community meetings in the coming weeks, with details expected to be announced soon.<\/p>\n The move comes as San Antonio leaders consider how to respond to recent allegations against Chavez.<\/p>\n Last week, Councilwoman Teri Castillo (D5), a close ally of organized labor, called for \u201ccommunity listening sessions\u201d to gather input on a potential renaming of West Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard to something that more closely \u201creflects our community\u2019s values.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is about listening to our community and ensuring their voices guide decisions that shape our public spaces,\u201d Castillo said in a statement Wednesday. <\/p>\n Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (D2) filed a similar request<\/a> that same day.<\/p>\n In the wake of the recent accusations, Austin leaders are also<\/a> calling for such changes surrounding their own East Cesar Chavez Street.<\/p>\n Castillo and McKee-Rodriguez also want San Antonio to consider the future of the city\u2019s Cesar Chavez Day designation. The date, March 31, was made a federal commemorative holiday<\/a> in 2014.<\/p>\n McKee-Rodriguez said he wants to explore renaming the city\u2019s Cesar Chavez Day holiday \u201cin a way that recognizes the significance of the broader labor and farmworker movement.\u201d<\/p>\n The city announced Thursday<\/a> that it would not observe the Cesar Chavez municipal holiday scheduled for March 31 this year \u2014 but would instead give employees the following Friday off.<\/p>\n Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday<\/a> that the state of Texas will no longer observe Cesar Chavez Day, adding that the accusations against Chavez \u201crightfully dismantle the myth of this progressive hero.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Alamo Colleges District had previously said it would remain closed<\/a> on March 31 as scheduled, but \u201cin light of recent reports\u201d it would shift the focus of the day. But following the governor\u2019s directive, the district said they would remain open<\/a> with normal operations.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, San Antonio preemptively\u00a0cancelled its Cesar Chavez march<\/a>\u00a0before details of the accusations were made public.<\/p>\n Those now include shocking allegations from Dolores Huerta, the co-founder of United Farm Workers of America, who said she was \u201cmanipulated and pressured\u201d into having sex with Chavez, resulting in two pregnancies.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to,\u201d Huerta said in a statement<\/a> on Wednesday. \u201cI carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was my life\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n