Dolores Huerta, Iconic Labor Leader and Civil Rights Warrior, Passes Away at 96

Dolores Huerta, a towering figure in the labor movement and civil rights, has died at 96, as confirmed by her family.

The Huerta family announced her passing on Facebook, expressing their profound sorrow. “We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved mother, Dolores Huerta, has passed away today at the age of 96,” they stated.

They requested privacy during this painful time, acknowledging the shared grief felt by many around the world. Plans to honor her life and legacy will follow.

Birthed in New Mexico in 1930, Dolores Clara Fernández came from a lineage of laborers. Her father worked as a farmworker and miner, while her mother juggled roles as a waitress and hotel operator. Huerta herself was a twice-divorced single mother of 14.

After her parents’ divorce, she relocated with her mother and two brothers to Stockton, California, a melting pot of agricultural families.

Huerta earned a teaching degree from a local community college but quickly transitioned to organizing after witnessing her students arrive at school “with empty stomachs and bare feet,” according to her organization’s website.

A Mexican American icon, Huerta dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of impoverished migrant workers. In the 1950s, she founded the Agricultural Workers Association, which focused on voter registration and community advocacy. Alongside César Chávez, whom she met while working in the Stockton Community Service Organization, she co-founded the United Farm Workers.

As Chávez’s right-hand woman until his death in 1993, Huerta played a pivotal role in strikes for grape workers and negotiations with agribusinesses during the 1960s and ’70s. These efforts resulted in some of the first union contracts for farmworkers in the nation. She was instrumental in pushing for the 1975 Agricultural Labor Relations Act in California, granting farmworkers the right to collectively bargain.

In March, Huerta made shocking allegations against Chávez, accusing him of sexual abuse during their time together in the labor movement, which led to two pregnancies. This revelation came after her inclusion in a New York Times exposé detailing Chávez’s sexual misconduct.

“I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for,” she stated in a Medium post.

“I have encouraged people to always use their voice,” she added. “Following the New York Times’ multi-year investigation into sexual misconduct by Cesar Chavez, I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences.”

In 2012, former President Barack Obama awarded Huerta the Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing her influence on his campaign slogan “Yes, we can,” which translates from her own phrase “Sí, se puede.”

“When people of color are left out of history, then we see the racism that we’re looking at today,” Huerta remarked in a 2017 interview about the documentary “Dolores.” She emphasized the importance of telling these stories to combat ignorance regarding contributions from people of color, women, and labor unions.

“I think that it’s not only important for women, but it’s important for our whole society that our stories be told and that our victories and our achievements can be recorded in history,” she concluded.