A ceramic relief in honor of Cesar Chavez that hangs on the exterior wall of the San Joaquin Delta College Goleman Library and its associated plaque have been temporarily covered.
The college’s Heritage Committee will be meeting on Wednesday, March 25, where a new business agenda item includes “approve the removal of public art for Cesar Chavez,” the agenda states. According to an agenda item, “a large black and white painted mural of Chavez in the interior stairwell of the Goleman Library” was set to be removed on Monday.
“While the covering and removal of these pieces represents a change, our values remain unchanged. We continue to stand in our commitment to social justice, our recognition of the contributions of farmworkers and immigrants, and our concern and care for survivors who have experienced harm and trauma,” Superintendent Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson told The Stockton Record via email on Monday, March 23. “We also extend strength and support to all who have been affected, including Stockton College alumnus Dolores Huerta, who just a few months ago visited our campus and shared her inspiring story.”
Sarah Seekatz, a San Joaquin Delta College professor of history, wrote a letter on March 19, addressing the Heritage Committee, requesting them to petition the board of trustees for the quick removal of Cesar Chavez monuments on campus.
Seekatz has submitted an AP 6620 “Naming of facilities” application to remove the artwork.
“Dear Heritage Committee, I write today to request the immediate covering of the two artistic memorials to Cesar Chavez on our Stockton campus and request you to petition the Board of Trustees for their expedited removal from display on our campus. As you may be aware The New York Times released a multiple year report on Cesar Chavez,” Seekatz wrote. “It uncovered allegations of grooming and rape of children and women in the movement. Dolores Huerta, a Delta alum, released a statement that Chavez had also assaulted her. The coverage also documented humiliation, emotional and verbal abuse, and the use of gendered slurs.”
In the letter, Seekatz mentioned 21 students, staff and faculty members who asked to be mentioned in support of the petition for the immediate removal of the memorials.
“As a Latine student at Delta College, I truly hope the people in the position to do so are able to remove any murals/art pieces commemorating Cesar Chavez from our campus. What he has done is unforgivable,unforgettable, & not representative of the character we were taught growing up,” Solana Martinez-Gonzales, a San Joaquin Delta College student, said in the letter. “Considering the current state of the world; where we have men in very important positions of power not facing any consequences for their actions, this gives San Joaquin Delta College the chance to make a change for their students, faculty, & community in general. I’ve always perceived this campus to be a safe space for all & I hope it continues to go forward with that. Nobody should come to campus & be faced with memories of someone who harmed not only women but the Latine community as well.”
The Heritage Committee meeting will discuss the artwork’s future as part of the committee’s “procedure for the renaming of facilities or removal of artwork,” Lawrenson said.
“For many individuals in our community, this moment brings complex feelings of conflict, frustration, loss, sadness, and anger,” Lawrenson said. “We want our students, staff, and faculty to know that we recognize this is a sensitive issue. We are committed to supporting our community during this time by providing appropriate counseling services as well as spaces for dialogue, academic discourse, and personal reflection.”
Lawrenson said the Heritage Committee will decide what action to take on the pending removal of the artwork request.
The Heritage Committee meeting will begin at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, at the Horton Administration Building, room 103, boardroom, at 5151 Pacific Ave., in Stockton. The meeting will also be on Zoom at deltacollege-edu.zoom.us. To join, use the meeting ID 896 0461 4135.
For more information on the San Joaquin Delta College Heritage Committee, visit deltacollege.edu.
Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers business and community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: ‘A difficult time for our college.’ Delta College covers Cesar Chavez memorial
Reporting by Angelaydet Rocha, The Stockton Record / The Record
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