Adolfo Guzman-Lopez covers higher education for the LAist and KPCC newsroom.
Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval and painter Paul Botello look at one of five murals in a park in Pomona , that depict the life and activism of Cesar Chavez .This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist.
If you find value in independent local reporting,Adolfo Guzman-Lopez talks to Pomona city leaders and others about the future of the murals. At Cesar Chavez Park in Pomona, a mural depicts the now-disgraced farm worker leader from the waist-up, in a serene, almost Buddha-like pose. To his left, a lady justice figure holds the scales of justice and on the right, there are images of farm workers toiling in a field. Chavez looks like a saint.“And that's what people thought he was,” said Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval as he stood in front of the mural. But after several women stepped forward accusing the late labor icon of sexual assault, that view has radically changed. Now there are calls to remove his image from public spaces, widely impacting Southern California, which has a large concentration of murals, plaques, street names, and statues dedicated to him.If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.But do the entire murals have to be removed, or can there be a more nuanced approach to the re-evaluation of Chavez’s legacy — a re-evaluation that doesn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater?The first pip, or crack, was confirmed in one of Jackie and Shadow’s eggs Friday morning, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.Jackie and Shadow’s eggs are now more than a month old and nearing the end of the eagles' usual incubation timeline.For the students, it’s an opportunity to see a beloved artist at “our freaking school.” For the school, it’s a continuation of a “world famous” arts legacy. This week, the artist Paul Botello, Pomona Mayor Sandoval, and Pitzer College Emeritus Professor José Calderón, a former activist who was involved in getting the murals painted, met up at the park, in the shadow of the busy 57 freeway, to discuss how to go forward.“When a young Latino was killed, we actually did a march all the way from City Hall to what is now this park,” said Calderón. Calderon helped organize that march. He said activists were inspired by something Chavez liked to say, that when you get angry, don’t take it out on others — organize. So they lobbied for the park, which was filled with trash and syringes, to be cleaned up and made family friendly. And because they used his quote, it was named Cesar Chavez Park.Muralist Paul Botello was chosen to create five murals at the park that depicted Chavez from youth, through his service in the U.S. Navy during World War Two, to key moments during his farm worker activism.Today, while he feels betrayed by Chavez, he’s also keen to preserve parts of the murals which tell the bigger story of the exploitation of farm workers and the fight to improve their conditions. While California state law says an artist must be consulted if there are any proposed changes to a mural, the ultimate decision will be made by Pomona City Council. Sandoval said he has not received calls or emails at City Hall. But people in his various social and civic circles have told him, he says, that Chavez’s images should be removed. Paul Botello holds mock-ups of changes he'd like to make to his murals of Cesar Chavez at a park in Pomona.Botello had brought mock-ups of the alterations he’d like to make to each mural. For the mural which depicts Chavez in a Buddha-like pose, for example, he wants to replace his face with the face of a farmworker wearing a hat. He also wants to keep much of another mural, which depicts Chavez as a teenager in a suit surrounded by boys and girls sitting on rows of tilled soil. His one change is to turn the image of Chavez into a Zoot Suiter, a rebellious Mexican American youth from the mid 20th century.“ 95 percent is going to be there because it just represents all the youth who also toil in the field to help their parents,” he said. Calderon agrees with these more targeted changes. He fears painting over the murals entirely would erase the neighborhood activism that led to the creation of this park. The right and the white supremacists are already using it to say, ‘see this is what we told you about Cesar being anti-immigrant, but now they're going a little bit further and they want to wipe out ethnic studies.He’s also concerned their removal would give fuel to people who oppose Latino activism and the growing movement in public education to require the teaching of Latino history. “The right and the white supremacists are already using it to say, ‘see this is what we told you about Cesar being anti-immigrant’”, he said. “But now they're going a little bit further and they want to wipe out ethnic studies”.While Botello wants to keep the mural of Chavez serving in the U.S. Navy, because he believes it's important to show that Latinos have contributed to this country's military, he’s keen to make a change in the fifth mural.It depicts a young man and woman above the phrase “Sí se puede,” the famous farmworker slogan, “yes, we can.” The young man is clearly Chavez. Botello says he wants to replace it with the face of Dolores Huerta, the woman who led the United Farm Workers with Chavez and has accused Chavez of rape.You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead . Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community. Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Dartmouth professor's findings led to New York Times investigation into Cesar ChavezOn March 18, The New York Times published a detailed investigation into sexual assault allegations against decorated labor leader Cesar Chavez.
Read more »
2 people dead after police pursuit in Pomona ends in crashThe suspect crashed into another vehicle near Garey Avenue and County Road. Both the driver and passenger in the victim vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene.
Read more »
2 killed in crash with pursuit driver suspected of DUI in PomonaTwo people were killed in a crash with a DUI suspect after a domestic violence report in Pomona.
Read more »
Preserving the best parts of César Chávez's legacyThe work that so many people fought for remains. It never belonged to one person.
Read more »
The farmworker leaders you should know — not named César ChávezYour morning catch-up: The UFW leaders you haven't heard of, California is cracking down on suspicious luxury car sales and more big stories.
Read more »
Pomona's Chavez muralsThe most important stories for you to know today
Read more »