39th Avenue now Cesar Chavez Boulevard

July 8, 9:59 PMPortland Progressive ExaminerMichael Stone

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    Cesar Chavez

The Portland City Council voted unanimously to rename 39th Avenue as Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
The decision comes after years of debate and harsh rhetoric that brought charges of both racism and government oppression. Some thought the city was heavy handed throughout the process while others simply wanted the late Hispanic labor leader to be honored.

The name change was first suggested by members of the Latino community in 2007. Ever since community activists have sought to name a street after Chavez. The attempt met with debate and drama. Two years ago a failed attempt to rename North Interstate Boulevard as Cesar Chavez Boulevard generated animosity and harsh words.

Yet there is no doubt Cesar Chavez deserves recognition. Portland has already honored Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks in a similar fashion. In 1989, Portland renamed Union Avenue after Martin Luther King Jr. after a racially charged debate.

The hard-won battle to rename a Portland street for farm-worker activist Cesar Chavez is a historic triumph. The city overcame inertia, racism, and a fear of change. Portland did the right thing.