Portland City Council may expedite renaming Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard to a new name honoring Latino farmworkers after allegations of sexual abuse against Chavez.
PORTLAND, Oregon — A Portland City Council committee will discuss Tuesday whether to fast-track the renaming of Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard following allegations that the late civil rights leader sexually assaulted and abused women and girls for decades.
The proposal, introduced by Councilor Loretta Smith, would bypass the city's usual lengthy process for renaming streets. If approved, Northeast and Southeast Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard would be renamed Northeast and Southeast Campesinos Boulevard — "campesinos" being a Spanish term for farmworkers.
In March, a New York Times investigation detailed allegations from two women who said they were 12 and 13 when Chavez groomed and assaulted them. The report sparked immediate outrage from many Portland leaders, as well as calls for renaming several city institutions.
City Councilor Candace Avalos said on social media at the time that she was looking into renaming Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard, which stretches more than seven miles through Northeast and Southeast Portland.
As of Monday afternoon, 64 pieces of written testimony had been submitted to the city, reflecting a mixed reaction to the proposal. Many called for the street to be renamed back to 39th Avenue, which it was called until 2009. That renaming process took several years and faced significant pushback.
"We who live on this street just found out about this today, and we are furious!" said a KGW viewer who lives on Cesar E. Chavez Chavez Boulevard. "We unanimously want the name changed back to 39th Ave. … The streets in this Northeast neighborhood are arranged by number, except for ours. If it's going to be changed, we want our number back!!!"
"Change the street back to 39th Avenue, and find a meaningful way to recognize Los Campesinos, the farm workers labor movement, and the many contributions of Hispanic people in our communities," said Patti M. in the written comments.
RELATED: Family of Cesar Chavez 'devastated' by abuse allegations as states, cities look to erase tributes
It is unclear what the total cost of renaming the street would be, but beyond changing street signs, the city would be required to notify all property owners along the street, update city records and coordinate with emergency services, including the Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire & Rescue.
City leaders said the new name would honor the legacy of Latino farmworkers. If approved, the Portland Bureau of Transportation would be responsible for installing new street signs and removing the old ones within six months.
Source link ← Back to News