PHOENIX — The Phoenix Public Library is asking the community to help pick a new name for the library in Laveen as the city continues its rapid effort to strip the name of Cesar Chavez from public facilities.
The library, formerly known as the Cesar Chavez Library, is undergoing a rebranding following a unanimous Phoenix City Council vote on March 25 to remove the late labor leader’s name and likeness from all city property.
The move follows a report detailing allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse by Chavez. Among the revelations were accounts from fellow civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, who said she was assaulted by Chavez.
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While the city moves to distance itself from Chavez, library officials are looking toward Arizona’s natural landscape for a replacement. Library officials are seeking public input on five Sonoran Desert-inspired options:
- Chaparral
- Creosote
- Manzanilla
- Prickly Pear
- Senita
Naming branches after native flora is a Phoenix tradition dating back to the 1960s. A 1963 policy established by the Phoenix Library Advisory Board requires branch libraries to be named after desert plants.
The community survey is open through May 15. The two names with the most votes will be presented to the library advisory board on May 20. A final recommendation is expected to reach the city council for approval by late June.
The library’s rebranding is just one piece of a larger overhaul in the Laveen area and across the city.
Last month, the city immediately covered signage at Cesar Chavez Plaza and began removing 43 ceremonial street signs along Baseline Road. The city also officially renamed the March 31 holiday “Farmworkers Day” to shift the focus from Chavez to the labor movement itself.
In a similar move, the Phoenix Union High School District is working to rename Cesar Chavez High School in Laveen. The school board recently voted to use the interim name “Champion Circle High School” while it conducts its own community-led naming process.
Residents interested in voting on the new library name can find the survey on the Phoenix Public Library website. Voting closes at 5 p.m. on May 15.
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