On Tuesday morning, November 6, supporters of a proposal to
rename Interstate Avenue for César E. Chávez held a press
conference at Kaiser Town Hall on Interstate. Supporters like former
Multnomah County Commissioner Serena Cruz urged the city council to
quit debating whether or not to continue processing the proposal, and
to vote already.
“In Portland, ‘we need more process’ is code for ‘we’re still
uncomfortable,'” Cruz said. The rename, she said, has been through two
neighborhood meetings, two public hearings, and two city council
meetings. “Now, after all of that discussion, it’s time for our city
council to make a tough decision. It’s time for our next mayor to make
a tough decision,” she said, referring to City Commissioner Sam
Adams.
But the rallying calling for an end to process may have been moot:
Over the weekend, City Commissioner Erik Sten—the swing vote on a
proposal calling for more process, perhaps in the form of a “Blue
Ribbon” panel to analyze the issue—determined that additional
process wouldn’t work if the mayor and the rename committee weren’t on
board.
“I’ve been attempting for three weeks or so to try and at least
mediate some process,” Sten says. “[But] there’s no way to mediate the
process, particularly if the mayor won’t take part. I don’t think a
Blue Ribbon Panel could be successful in this environment.”
Despite calling the situation a “train wreck” and “a needlessly ugly
vote on something that should be a celebration,” Sten is likely to vote
for the rename on November 15.
“Unfortunately, I think I’m voting on a false choice, a choice
that’s been created by politics. But the choice is really going to be,
which aggrieved party do you stand with?”
Supporters of the rename hope that Sten will stand with them. “This
symbol says to all of America that the City of Portland belongs to all
cultural groups, and not just white men,” LeRoy Haynes Jr., vice
president of the Albina Ministerial Alliance, said at Tuesday’s press
conference. Though several of the speakers dismissed the idea that a
5-0 vote to rename the street was key—calling the rename a civil
rights and justice issue, the supporters noted that civil rights
measures in the US don’t historically garner unanimous
votes—there was pressure for Commissioners Randy Leonard and
Adams to “keep their word” and join their colleagues in voting for the
rename.
Meanwhile, Bill Mildenberger Jr. of the Nite Hawk Café &
Lounge—a leader of the “Save Interstate Avenue” group—is
angry that the rename appears likely. “We’re overwhelmingly against the
name change, but we support honoring [Chávez],” he says,
bewildered that there’s not a way to bridge that gap. “Aren’t they
listening to what we said, in overwhelming numbers?” Mildenberger said
opponents of the Interstate rename are contemplating further action,
perhaps a referendum.