Several Austin city leaders are calling for the renaming of Cesar Chavez Street after new allegations surfaced this week accusing the late labor activist of sexual assault.
The push comes after a recent investigation detailed accusations that Cesar Chavez, who died in 1993, sexually abused women and girls during his time leading the farmworker movement.
In response, members of the Austin City Council — including Vanessa Fuentes, José Velásquez and Mayor Pro Tem José “Chito” Vela — joined other local leaders in supporting a name change.
“The center of our city and the heart of East Austin should reflect our commitment to justice,” the group said in a joint statement, adding that they stand with those who have come forward.
Council Member Zo Qadri, whose district includes portions of the street, also voiced support for reconsidering the name, saying public spaces should reflect community values and accountability.
Cesar Chavez Street, which runs through downtown Austin, was renamed from First Street shortly after Chavez’s death in the early 1990s.
Community groups are also weighing in. El Concilio Mexican-American Landowners of East Austin — one of the organizations that originally pushed to name the street after Chavez — is now calling for the change, citing a need to support victims and reassess the legacy of the civil rights figure.
Some leaders have suggested renaming the street after Dolores Huerta, Chavez’s longtime colleague and co-founder of the United Farm Workers, who has publicly shared her own allegations of abuse.
The controversy has prompted broader changes across Texas and the country. In Austin, organizers have already canceled the city’s annual Cesar Chavez march and celebration, while officials elsewhere are reconsidering street names, holidays and other honors tied to Chavez.
Any decision to rename the street would require approval from the Austin City Council and would likely involve a public input process.
City leaders say those discussions are just beginning.
