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Ravenswood City School District said on March 19 that it plans to change the name of César Chávez Ravenswood School in East Palo Alto. The announcement comes days after a New York Times investigation detailed allegations of sexual abuse against the late labor activist.
While no decisions on the name change have been made, Superintendent Gina Sudaria stated in a press release that the district will be following the school board’s policy in their process to rename the middle school.
“In the meantime, our schools and educators are encouraged to teach about the farmworker movement as a struggle that is greater than one man,” said Sudaria.
One day earlier, on March 18, East Palo Alto Mayor Webster Lincoln asked the district to initiate a “community-centered review process” to rename the school in light of the investigation in a letter to the school district. He floated the idea of renaming the campus after former President Barack Obama.
“President Obama represents a figure of profound historical significance to our community and to the nation, a barrier-breaking leader who has demonstrated an enduring commitment to equal justice, educational opportunity, and public service,” Lincoln wrote to the superintendent and the board.
He clarified in his note that his request is not an attempt to erase the history of the farmworkers movement but about the importance of children learning in a space that is dedicated to a figure that reflects the values expected in community leaders: “Courage, integrity, and respect for every person’s dignity.”
The school was named César Chávez Ravenswood School following the merger of Ravenswood Middle School and César Chávez Academy in 2019. The joint name came about after community members voiced concerns about the erasure of Chávez’s legacy as a civil rights leader.
A discussion about renaming the school will be put on the agenda of the upcoming board meeting, according to the district’s press release.
The district will continue to recognize April 6, the state holiday dedicated to César Chávez, but will work with its labor unions and school board to modify the district calendar for the coming school year.
“We stand with survivors of violence, including and especially gender-based violence, which has no place in our society,” Sudaria wrote.
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