Public Career
Serna became the first Latino mayor of Sacramento. Before becoming mayor, Serna had served 11 years on the Sacramento City Council. He also served in the Peace Corps and was a professor in the Government Department at California State University Sacramento.
As mayor, Serna attempted to revitalize Sacramento's downtown area, but joined previous Mayors in failing to succeed. He pushed through initiatives to honor César Chávez when the legendary civil rights leader died in 1993. Serna organized a caravan from Sacramento to march in Chávez's funeral and renamed a park in front of City Hall to Cesar E. Chavez Plaza. Furthermore, Sacramento became the first city in the United States to honor César Chávez with a holiday.
Read more about this topic: Joe Serna, Jr.
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