Why was a Boise street named after Cesar Chavez? And how that could change
The legacy of Cesar Chavez has been called into question after The New York Times reported Wednesday on sexual assault allegations against the near-legendary activist.
One of his accusers, Ana Murguia, 66, told the Times she was motivated to speak out when she learned a street near her Bakersfield, California, home was to be named after the man she alleged began molesting her when she was 13.
Boise has its own prominent street named after the activist: West Cesar Chavez Lane, a road nestled between the Greenbelt and Boise State University campus. The previously titled Campus Lane was renamed in March 2006 at the school’s request.
Now, university officials are considering whether to seek another name change.
Chavez has long been known for his work as a labor rights organizer who co-founded what is today the United Farm Workers labor union. In the New York Times report, two women detailed their abuse at the hands of Chavez while they were minors, and the newspaper said it had found significant evidence that this behavior was part of a larger pattern of sexual misconduct with women and girls who were part of his movement.
Boise State spokesperson Sherry Squires told the Idaho Statesman on Wednesday that the school was aware of the allegations and planned to investigate the possibility of a new street name.
“The university has not yet had time to engage with stakeholders and discuss possible next steps, but will do so as quickly as feasible,” Squires said in an email.
Boise city spokesperson Maria Ortega said Wednesday afternoon that she was not aware of any conversations among city officials about a potential name change.
Why does Boise have a street named after Cesar Chavez?
The seeds of the name change were planted in 2004, when Boise State renamed its indoor arena, formerly known as The Pavilion, to Taco Bell Arena through a sponsorship deal. Today, the venue is known as ExtraMile Arena following a new naming rights contract in 2019.
The Taco Bell Arena deal came at a troublesome time. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a labor rights organization, was leading a nationwide Taco Bell boycott to pressure the restaurant to improve the wages and working conditions of its tomato pickers, who had not gotten a raise in 30 years, according to the organization.
Ro Parker, director of the Student Connections and Support Center, told student newspaper The Arbiter in 2023 that the decision to rename the street appeared to be a concession to those upset by the deal. Former Boise State President Bob Kustra told The Arbiter he “wouldn’t doubt” the street name was a way to handle the issue.
The university petitioned the city to rename the street, and the Boise City Council unanimously approved the request, according to Statesman reporting at that time.
A year later, however, school officials briefly sought to add another name.
The Arbiter said it obtained a March 2007 email through a records request showing that the school requested the city change a portion of the street’s name to Velma Morrison Lane in honor of significant donor Velma Morrison. The campus’ Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts sits on Cesar Chavez Lane.
The request was withdrawn two months later. Kustra told The Arbiter that he remembered breaking the news to Morrison and said Morrison was “originally from the Central Valley of California where Chavez was very controversial in his early years as an organizer.”
How would Cesar Chavez Lane get renamed?
Cesar Chavez Lane is a private road built and maintained by Boise State (Fun fact: All private roads in Boise must end with the word “Lane”).
But because the road is home to more than two building addresses, the school must follow a formal city procedure for a name change, according to city code.
To change the name of a private road, the owner must submit an application to the city’s Department of Public Works. The department and the Ada County Street Name Committee recommend to the city whether a change is warranted and propose a new name. The City Council votes to approve it. Ada County then must approve it as well.
In addition to the Morrison Center, Boise State facilities with a Cesar Chavez address include several dorms, an education building, the Albertsons Library and the Bleymaier Football Center.
