Photography by Michael Minasi, courtesy of KUT News.
District 9 Councilwoman Paula Blackmon joined several colleagues in signing a memorandum asking the City Council to reconsider the designation of March 31 as Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta Day.
The memo, addressed to Mayor Eric Johnson, comes after recent sexual assault allegations involving Chavez.
Blackmon and the co-signers are requesting that the city remove Chavez’s name from the calendar beginning in 2026, while continuing to honor Dolores Huerta for her contributions to farmworker rights and the labor movement.
The council originally approved the joint designation in 2021 to recognize both leaders’ legacy. Since then, March 31 has served as a day of reflection on their advocacy.
In addition to removing Chavez’s name, the proposal suggests creating “Dolores Huerta Day” on April 10.
It also calls for the revision of Section 34-25 (a)(1)(G) of the Dallas city code to remove “Cesar E. Chavez Day” and re-establish the first Monday of September as “Labor Day.”
The council members also recommend potentially renaming Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
The proposal is expected to be discussed at a future City Council meeting.
