City to Host Community Engagement Sessions for Renaming of César Chávez Park

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PRESS RELEASE

Above: Photo of César Chávez Park, one of the locations that will be reviewed as part of a community-informed process to rename City assets and activities that recognize César Chávez.

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach will host a series of community engagement sessions as part of its community-informed process to review and rename City assets and activities that recognize César Chávez. Following the news earlier this year regarding Chávez, the Long Beach City Council directed staff to begin this renaming process. Since then, the City's Office of Equity created an interdepartmental workgroup that includes staff from the Office of the City Manager and the Departments of Parks, Recreation and Marine, Health and Human Services, and Library, Arts & Culture.

The community sessions are intended to be spaces for connection, reflection and healing with direct input encouraged from community members about their experiences, perspectives and recommendations for new names for these City assets. Feedback gathered through this process will help inform recommendations presented to the City Council.

Community members are invited to participate in one of the following upcoming sessions:

• Virtual Community Session, Thursday, Nov. 5 at 5:30 p.m.
  • Participants are encouraged to RSVP for the virtual session.
• César Chávez Park Community Session, Saturday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m.
  • Jenny Oropeza Community Center at César Chávez Park (401 Golden Ave., 90802)
• Houghton Park Community Session, Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave., 90805)

All sessions are free and open to the community. All displayed materials will be available in Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog. Light refreshments and children's activities will also be offered at the in-person community sessions.

Community members who are unable to attend a session will also have an opportunity to provide feedback through a community survey, available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog. Those with limited access to a computer or smart phone may also visit a public computer lab available at any open Long Beach Public Library location to access the survey.

The community engagement sessions and survey will seek recommendations to rename the following City assets: César E. Chávez Park, Drake Chavez Soccer Fields, Drake Chavez Greenbelt, Drake Chavez Connection and César Chávez Observance Day. The sessions will also request recommendations for who might replace César Chávez in the Peacemakers' Mural. Chávez Elementary School, also in Long Beach, is a Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) asset and will be renamed through a separate process conducted by LBUSD. However, the Office of Equity will work in partnership with the school district throughout this process.

Media inquiries may be directed to Kimberly Marshall, Acting Equity Officer, Office of Equity, at [email protected].

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