In 1996 the City of Berkeley renamed this parcel of land, located in the Berkeley Marina, in Cesar Chavez’s name. A council of community members led by Santiago Casals has been working since then in an effort to develop a memorial to Cesar Chavez. A modest memorial was constructed near the northwest corner of the park. During the 2015-16 school year, at the request of this council and with the guidance of Associate Professor Ron Rael.

Our architectural landscape frames the sunrise and sunset of the equinox and solstices; four important seasonal times for farmworkers. The space is ritualized by these times and by Cesar Chavez’s date of birth which closely coincides with the spring equinox. The Cesar Chavez Solar Calendar Memorial attempts to remind visitors that time is linked directly to the movements of the sun, to light and shadows, and to the earth; all important features that contributed to the legacy of Cesar Chavez.