A San Antonio Public Works crew later removed the cardboard.
SAN ANTONIO — City of San Antonio leaders wasted no time responding to allegations of sexual misconduct against Cesar Chavez earlier this month, calling for public meetings to change the local street named after the late civil rights leader within hours of the claims being made public in a New York Times report last week.
In the following days, the city said it would not observe Cesar Chavez Day on March 31 and launched an online survey to gather feedback on what residents would like to see Cesar Chavez Boulevard – a roughly five-and-a-half-mile stretch that partially cuts through the heart of town – renamed to.
The early stages of the debate has seen different parts of the community championing numerous options.
A large contingent of San Antonians on social media would like to see the corridor revert back to Durango Boulevard, which is what it was called before City Council approved renaming it in honor of Chavez in 2011; even that decision, a 7-4 vote, proved divisive. Some say Selena, Spurs legend Gregg Popovich or President Donald Trump should be recognized.
SAPD’s Central San Antonio Fear Free Environment team in a since-deleted Facebook post offered up “Miguel Moreno Boulevard,” in honor of an officer who was fatally shot in 2017 while investigating vehicle burglaries. (An SAPD spokesperson said the department was unaware the post had been made, adding that “while it was well-intentioned, there is a process in place that will allow residents to voice their opinion.”)
Others still, locally and across the country, believe the most appropriate recourse would be to replace mentions of Cesar Chavez on streets, parks and schools with Dolores Huerta—the United Farm Workers cofounder who said last week that Chavez sexually assaulted her and that she secretly carried two of his children. Leaders of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, for instance, suggested replacing Texas’ state holiday named for Chavez with one honoring Huerta.
At least one person in the Alamo City apparently decided they didn’t want to wait around. A San Antonio resident, Elena Rodriguez-Eubanks, spotted the Cesar Chavez Boulevard / South Presa intersection sign had been altered Friday morning so that Huerta’s name appeared to have been written on cardboard and taped over Chavez’s name.
By about 2 p.m. Friday, the street sign had been cleaned up. A spokesperson with the city’s Public Works Department confirmed a crew tended to it and removed the cardboard in the morning.
It’s unclear if the DIY renaming amounts to vandalism. KENS 5 has reached out to San Antonio police officials about if a report was made, but have not yet heard back.
The boulevard likely wouldn’t be officially changed until late spring or early summer. The city plans to hold community forums to gather more feedback in April and the Planning Commission would also have to discuss the initiative, among other steps.
City staff have targeted mid-to-late May for a possible City Council vote on renaming; according to documents, it’s expected to cost about $205,000 and will impact 295 current San Antonio addresses.