The city of Riverside and the Riverside Latino Network this week have started the community feedback process regarding the future of a memorial statue and community center dedicated to late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez.
“We have been actively working on this issue and want our decision to align with our community’s values,” Alex Cortez, president of the Riverside Latino Network, said in a statement to The Riverside Record. “Our plan is to keep the community updated as this process will take some time.
Cortez said the organization has held several meetings and sent out a community input survey, asking residents to provide feedback on the statue, which the organization owns. He said the board had met with the original committee that worked to create the statue, city officials and the sculptor to discuss the statue’s future.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Commission also received an informational update this week describing the city’s plan to host community meetings, send out surveys and meet with community organizations to collect feedback on both the memorial and the Cesar Chavez Community Center on University Avenue, which is currently closed for renovations.
“I hope that we are able to give it enough time to come to some thoughtful decision,” Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kevin Dawson said during the April 29 public meeting. “I think an appropriate amount of time of pause and reflection would be a good idea.”
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The effort is the result of a New York Times investigation released last month, which detailed several accusations against Chavez, alleging he sexually abused at least two women in the 1970s when they were minors. The story also reported on United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta’s allegations that Chavez sexually assaulted her twice in the 1960s.
Days after the article was released, communities across the country began scrubbing Chavez’s name and likeness from public view. Riverside opted for a slower approach that prioritized community conversations when it came to the future of the community center and memorial.
In a March 19 press release, Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson called for a “thoughtful review” and Councilmember Philip Falcone previously told The Riverside Record he planned to work with city staff on creating a community outreach plan and said the city planned to work with the Riverside Latino Network.
“Since then, there has been community interest and inquiries regarding the Cesar Chavez Community Center,” Jessica Ochoa, the city’s recreation supervisor, told the commission at the April 29 meeting. “No decisions have been made. All options remain open. The goal is to ensure any future consideration is community-informed, transparent and inclusive.”
Ochoa said, after approval by the commission, the outreach framework would be presented to the Mayor’s Multicultural Forum on June 3.
Ochoa, in a phone call with The Record, said the June discussion would help staff create a more comprehensive plan, which would be implemented throughout the second half of the year.
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