Dallas council members propose removing Cesar Chavez from city honors

A document addressed to Mayor Eric Johnson says that six members of the Dallas City Council want to take Cesar Chavez's name off of holidays that the city recognizes and make more general adjustments to how public places are named. They want to celebrate Dolores Huerta instead.

After additional concerns arose about allegations involving the late civil rights leader, council members Jesse Moreno, Laura Cadena, Paula Blackmon, Adam Bazaldua, Jaime Resendez, and Gay Donnell Willis submitted a memo outlining their plan.

The memo requests changes to the city's official calendar, which now designates March 31 as Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta Day. The plan calls for taking down all references to Chavez and instead honoring Dolores Huerta on her own.

If the proposal passes, April 10 will be designated as Dolores Huerta Day. The council members also suggested that the first Monday in September be known only as Labor Day, getting rid of its present name as both Labor Day and Cesar Chavez Day.

Along with Chavez, Huerta helped start the United Farm Workers organization and has long been known for her work to improve workers' rights.

The council members also said they were interested in looking at other public honors related to Chavez, such as Cesar Chavez Boulevard, which runs along the South Central Expressway. Despite the absence of any formal action, the memo recommends "starting a broader discussion" about naming the route.

The council members stressed in their statement that community values should come first when giving public honor. The message says, "As a Council, we must stand with survivors and show that we are committed to building a community that values safety, dignity, and justice." "We are looking forward to having these public talks follow the rules."

The initiative might go beyond the city government. When Dallas ISD gets back from spring break, the Cesar Chavez Learning Center may also be looked at, although no official action has been taken yet.

As per district rules, suggestions for changing school names usually go to the campus principal first, then to the appropriate trustee. Before the school board may vote on the issue, at least one member of the school's site-based decision-making committee or the PTA must endorse it.

We have reached out to district administrators and school board members for comment but have not yet heard back.

The proposal paves the way for further public discussions in Dallas about the commemoration of historical figures and how institutions handle emerging issues.