LANSING, Mich — For Sein Benavides, Cesar Chavez Avenue is more than just an address.
It's a source of pride, a piece of history.
Now it's a source of heartbreak.
- Lansing City Council is set to begin discussions on potentially renaming Cesar Chavez Avenue after reports surfaced of sexual abuse allegations against the late labor leader.
- Sein Benavides, owner of Arctic Corner on Cesar Chavez Ave., says he's disappointed but supports the city taking the lead on the process.
- Benavides says the avenue's name should change, but stresses the United Farm Workers movement was never about one man.
WATCH: LANSING BUSINESS OWNER REACTS TO CESAR CHAVEZ AVENUE RENAMING DISCUSSIONS
Benavides has run Arctic Corner Ice Cream Shop on the avenue since March 2023. His shop holds the original street sign from 1994, the first time the city named the stretch after the iconic labor leader.
For Benavides and his family, whose parents were migrant workers, the name carried deep personal meaning.
"It's a proud moment," Benavides said, reflecting on how he felt when the sign went up in 2018. "We take pride in that name. We take pride that he's one of us."
That pride has turned to pain.
WATCH: LANSING TO TAKE FIRST STEPS ON POSSIBLE RENAMING OF CESAR CHAVEZ AVENUE
Benavides said he was disappointed when asked how he felt after news broke of the sexual abuse allegations.
"I didn't sleep well. It's crushing," Benavides said.
A New York Times report detailed sexual abuse allegations involving women and children against Chavez. Labor leader Dolores Huerta who, along with Chavez and Philip Vera Cruz, co-founded the labor group United Farm Workers.
WATCH: CELEBRATIONS CANCELED AFTER SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS OF CESAR CHAVEZ
Huerta was named as a victim in the NYT report and has subsequently released a statement.
The discussion over the avenue's name is nothing new for Lansing's Latino community.
The street was first named after Chavez in 1994, and renamed again in 2017, each time after contentious debate between community advocates and business owners over the costs and meaning of a name change.
WATCH: CALIFORNIA TO RENAME CESAR CHAVEZ DAY AS FARMWORKERS DAY
Benavides says he watched those battles from the sidelines but now finds himself on the other side of the table as a business owner.
Councilwoman Trini Lopez Pehlivanoglu announced Friday that the city will begin formal discussions on a possible renaming as early as next week.
The proposal will go before the Committee on City Operations, which would then determine next steps for a full council vote.
Benavides says he's already been in contact with Pehlivanoglu and other council members and plans to attend next Thursday's meeting at her request.
Benavides has also connected with the Old Town Commercial Association.
"Let's make sure we're really respectful of the business owners," Benavides said. "They're here 365 days a year. Let's find out what they want too."
Since the report, the city canceled The Legacy for Cesar Chavez Dinner that was scheduled for March 25.
Michigan State University changed a website once named after Chavez and Huerta to 'Farmworker Appreciation and Commemorative Celebration.'
WATCH: SCREENSHOT OF MSU'S CHANGED WEBSITE FOLLOWING CESAR CHAVEZ SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS REPORT
As painful as it would be, Benavides says the sign should come down.
"The farm workers is a movement. That's what we should be recognizing. It was never about one man," Benavides said.
"It just doesn't belong there."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Want more FOX 47 News? Here's how you download our Roku app
You can also see the latest news from across our mid-Michigan neighborhoods by liking us on Facebook or following us on X.
