Next week, the Phoenix City Council will vote on a measure on March 25 to rename a City holiday as well as City buildings named for Cesar Chavez after reports of Chavez’s abuse of young girls and women came to light.
The City Council’s announcement follows an announcement by Governor Katie Hobbs that she was erasing the civil rights icon’s holiday set for March 31.
On Wednesday, Mayor Kate Gallego and Councilmembers Betty Guardado and Laura Pastor in a memo asked the City Manager to place the item on the Council agenda. They asked that this year’s March 31 municipal paid holiday be renamed as Farmworkers Day.
It also asks City staff to begin the process to rename all City facilities that currently bear Chavez’s name and remove all City street signs that honor him.
“What we’ve learned about Chavez’s behavior is shocking and appalling, and he does not embody the values of our city,” Gallego said. “We have a duty to honor the dignity of the survivors and move forward in a way that reflects our values.”
The erasure of Chavez is a result of a New York Times story, which was based on allegations that Chávez raped or sexually assaulted several women and the woman who had, in the past, been described progressive circles as his partner and mistress, Dolores Huerta.
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