Coachella honors Cesar Chavez with ceremony, street renaming
The city of Coachella today renamed Harrison Street in honor of civil rights leader Cesar Chavez, who fought for the rights of farmworkers and led a series of protests in Coachella during the 1960s and 70s.
Cesar Chavez Street was christened during a morning dedication ceremony attended by Chavez’s son, Anthony, as well as city officials.
A memorial honoring Chavez and the United Farm Workers union was also unveiled at De Oro Park, consisting of an 18-foot tall, 36-foot long representation of the United Farm Workers flag.
“Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to joining people together to create better conditions for themselves and their families,” Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez said. “This memorial serves as a fitting tribute to those efforts in a place where families gather each day.”
Chavez co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to become the United Farm Workers union, a labor union for the nation’s farmworkers.
City officials say that in addition to fighting for the rights of the large number of farmworkers living in the eastern Coachella Valley, Chavez and the UFW also maintained a Coachella office at 722 Vine St.
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