As Californians reel from César Chávez’s sex abuse allegations, city leaders across the state say they are considering removing his iconography from their cities by changing street names, libraries and monuments named after the labor rights leader.
From San Francisco to San Diego, local officials have said they would support removing statues and renaming everything from parks to libraries in Chavez’ name after renowned activist Dolores Huerta, 95, said Chávez forced himself on her in encounters that led to unwanted pregnancies.
But the process for renaming a street or monument is often slow, bureaucratic and costly, typically requiring a combination of internal investigations, community input and city council approval. Businesses, too, could face mounting costs from changing addresses listed on business cards and websites…