Cesar Chavez fallout: Milwaukee, Racine tributes being removed
Milwaukee, Racine leaders reckoning with Cesar Chavez tributes
Milwaukee and Racine are grappling with the honors it once gave Cesar Chavez. The reckoning comes after the New York Times reported shocking allegations of sexual abuse.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee and Racine are grappling with the honors it once gave Cesar Chavez.
The reckoning comes after the New York Times reported shocking allegations of sexual abuse, and some aren’t waiting to remove Chavez tributes.
Milwaukee formally named the road, what was south 16th Street, to Cesar Chavez Drive in 1996.
Cesar E. Chavez Dr. in Milwaukee
Now, there are discussions about scrapping that name, and one suggestion is to replace it with a name you can already find on this street.
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Cesar Chavez fallout; Milwaukee statue covered, plaques removed
A Cesar Chavez statue in Milwaukee was covered after new abuse allegations surfaced, as community leaders and officials consider renaming sites tied to the late civil rights leader.
Removing tributes to Cesar Chavez
What we know:
On Milwaukee’s Cesar Chavez Drive, crews removed his image, a bronze statue that was set up outside El Rey Foods in 2016.
"I was in shock."
The owner of El Rey planned to remove it Saturday but couldn’t wait.
"I wanted to do it sooner, so I decided to do it today," said owner Ernesto Villarreal. "It doesn’t feel good to have another day more."
But, this street name change won’t be as quick.
Replacing the name
What we know:
The Milwaukee Common Council would need to vote, and the mayor would need to approve it.
One name already floated is Dolores Huerta.
Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez suggests changing the name.
She's already honored on this street.
Dolores Huerta mural
Artist Nyia Luna and her mentor painted this mural.
"It would be amazing, and it's long overdue," said Nyia Luna.
Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association with Cesar Chavez.
Dolores Huerta
The New York Times reported this week that she was one of the women alleging Chavez sexually assaulted her.
"We completed this mural in 2021, and we already knew then that she was not getting the credit that she deserved. So, especially now, given everything that has come to light, she deserves all the credit and more," said Luna.
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Down in Racine—the city’s taking down the signs on its Cesar Chavez Community Center.
Cesar Chavez Community Center in Racine
"To have somebody that I think a lot of people in this community and this country have held in such high regard, really shaken by these revelations about sexual abuse, it’s just devastating," said Racine Mayor Cory Mason. "And so, again, at the very least, we have to put a pause on having a building named in his honor.
Mayor Cory Mason says the Racine Common Council will consider a new name in April. His suggestion is also Dolores Huerta.
Back in Milwaukee, there is also a city committee that gives advice on street renaming.
The mayor will huddle with elected leaders and people from the community early next week.
The council voted unanimously in 1996 to name it after Chavez.
The Source: FOX6 spoke to local leaders in Milwaukee and Racine to produce this story. FOX6 also spoke to an artist who created the Dolores Huerta mural.