LANSING — Cesar Chavez Avenue in Old Town could lose its name in the wake of allegations that the farmworkers rights icon was a sexual abuser of women and minors.
Lansing City Councilmember Trini Lopez Pehlivanoglu said she created a draft resolution to start the name change process and it will be officially introduced at a March 26 meeting of council’s Committee on City Operations.
“I’ve put some thought into this,” said Pehlivanoglu, who has been fielding calls and questions since the allegations against Chavez broke on Tuesday, March 17.
The accusations reported by the New York Times included Dolores Huerta alleging that Chavez sexually assaulted her while both were leading the farm workers movement and co‑founding the United Farm Workers union.
“I think it would be insensitive to any victims of sexual assault survivors if that name were to remain,” Pehlivanoglu said. “It’s not only the city of Lansing. It’s several communities across the entire country that are grappling with this.
“I think that the emphasis of what should be celebrated should be the farm workers movement and not necessarily the name of Chavez at this point. It’s appropriate to move forward with a name change to be respectful for a variety of reasons.”
Pehlivanoglu said she’s been dealing with some raw emotions considering that she grew up in a family supportive of the farm workers movement, for which Chavez was the face.
“We boycotted grapes as a family,” she said. “We truly supported the cause.”
She recalled marching as a teen in hopes of seeing a Cesar Chavez Avenue in Lansing. Chavez visited Lansing on several occasions to advocate for the rights of farm workers.
The City Council voted in 1994 to rename Grand Avenue for Chavez, but voters later overturned that decision via referendum.
More than two decades would pass before City Council voted in 2017 to rename an Old Town portion of Grand River Avenue extending from Oakland Avenue to Pine Street after Chavez, a Mexican-American civil rights activist.
“It was such a source of pride,” Pehlivanoglu said. “Then to have all of this information come out is really heart breaking.
“I will be doing my best to work forward with the best of intentions to include community in the conversation at every step of the way and to connect directly with those business owners and the folks who live on that portion of the street that could potentially have a name change.”
Pehlivanoglu is the chair of council’s city operations committee. She said she has been communicating with the Old Town Commercial Association and city attorneys about the name change.
Both Pehlivanoglu and the commercial association posted statements this week on social media about the allegations against Chavez.
“As an organization committed to fostering a safe, welcoming, and inclusive district, we believe it is important to approach this moment with care, respect, and a commitment to listening,” Old Town Commercial Association said in its post. “Old Town is home to a diverse community, including many resident and businesses with deep ties to Latino heritage and the farm worker movement that Chavez helped bring national attention to.
“We remain guided by our commitment to community, cultural respect, and the well-being of all who live, work and visit Old Town, and we will continue to monitor the situation thoughtfully as more information becomes available.”
On March 17, hours after the allegations against Chavez broke, the city of Lansing canceled its 2026 Legacy of Cesar Chavez Dinner.
The city then promised to contact sponsors and ticket holders to the March 25 event regarding reimbursement. The planned guest speaker had been Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Cesar Chavez’s granddaughter.
Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing’s Cesar Chavez Avenue could face name change. What’s happening
Reporting by Susan Vela, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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