MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | West Side Residents Take Control of Effort to Rename St. Paul’s Cesar Chavez Street

ST. PAUL, MN (July 19, 2026) Residents and business owners on St. Paul’s West Side are being given the leading role in selecting a new name for Cesar Chavez Street as the community reassesses how its most prominent commercial corridor should represent its history and identity.

The West Side Community Organization held the first of three public brainstorming sessions Thursday at Neighborhood House. Participants discussed the values, cultures and experiences that define the West Side and began proposing ideas for a new street name.

The process follows allegations that Chavez, the labor organizer and United Farm Workers co-founder, sexually assaulted girls involved in the farmworker movement. Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the organization with Chavez, has also publicly accused him of assaulting her.

The allegations have led schools, governments and community organizations across the country to reconsider public properties and observances carrying Chavez’s name.

A Name Rooted in the Community

West Side Community Organization Executive Director Monica Bravo said the replacement will not be named after another individual. Instead, organizers want a name that reflects the neighborhood collectively.

Cesar Chavez Street runs through the heart of St. Paul’s longstanding Latino community and was previously known as Concord Street. While the corridor has become strongly associated with Mexican American culture and businesses, residents emphasized that the West Side has also welcomed generations of Polish, Jewish, Central American, Caribbean and other immigrant families.

Community members described the West Side through ideas including pride, resilience, strength, hospitality and belonging.

The street-renaming discussion follows other changes in Minnesota. Academia Cesar Chavez, a St. Paul charter school, renamed itself Academia In Lak’ech this spring. The Minnesota Legislature also replaced Cesar Chavez Day with Farmworkers Day, shifting the public recognition from one individual to the broader movement.

Additional Meetings and Community Vote

Two more brainstorming meetings are scheduled at Neighborhood House, 179 Robie Street East:

• Saturday, July 25, at 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, July 28, at 6 p.m.

People unable to attend may submit their ideas through an online community survey.

After the meetings, organizers will review the suggestions and develop a shortlist. West Side residents and business owners will then vote on the options in August.

The winning proposal will be submitted to the St. Paul City Council, which has the authority to approve the official street-name change.

Sources

• Minnesota Star Tribune
• West Side Community Organization
• City of St. Paul

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