Kate Gallego

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council voted to permanently rename the city holiday formerly known as Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day. The city had used the new name on a temporary basis earlier this year before Wednesday's vote made it official.

The change follows sexual abuse allegations against Chavez involving young girls and women, with Dolores Huerta, his co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, publicly stating she was among his victims. Gallego said the labor movement "belonged to so many other individuals" beyond Chavez and that Farmworkers Day will honor their collective contributions.

Phoenix is also renaming other city assets that carried Chavez's name, including the former Cesar Chavez Park and Community Center in Laveen, now Aguila Park and Aguila Community Center. Separately, Phoenix Union High School District renamed Cesar Chavez High School to Cactus Canyon High School in May.

The Phoenix City Council voted unanimously to permanently rename the city holiday previously known as Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day, effective March 31. The change follows sexual abuse allegations against the late labor leader that surfaced earlier this year, prompting the council to first adopt a temporary name change before formalizing it.

Mayor Kate Gallego said the labor movement "belonged to so many other individuals who were leaders in their own right," and that the city would honor their "collective struggles, sacrifices, and successes" through the new holiday name. Councilmembers Betty Guardado and Laura Pastor also voiced support, framing the change as a way to center farmworkers and their families rather than a single figure. Beyond the holiday, Phoenix plans to rename streets, municipal buildings, and parks that currently bear the Cesar Chavez name, marking a broader shift in how the city commemorates the farmworker rights movement.