Dolores Huerta, a pivotal figure in the labor movement and a champion for civil rights, passed away Wednesday at the age of 96, her family announced. Huerta, alongside Cesar Chavez, co-founded the organization that became known as the United Farm Workers, dedicating her life to advocating for the rights of migrant farmworkers.
Born Dolores Clara Fernández in New Mexico in 1930, Huerta was the daughter of a farmworker and miner. She grew up in Stockton, California, a community with a significant agricultural labor population. After earning a teaching degree, she briefly taught before becoming an organizer, moved by the plight of her students who often came to school hungry. This experience fueled her lifelong commitment to social justice.
In the 1950s, Huerta founded the Agricultural Workers Association, which focused on voter registration and community improvements. Her partnership with Cesar Chavez, whom she met while working at the Stockton Community Service Organization, led to the establishment of the United Farm Workers. As Chavez's second-in-command until his death in 1993, Huerta was instrumental in organizing strikes and negotiating with agribusinesses in the 1960s and 70s. These efforts resulted in the first union contracts for farmworkers in the United States and contributed to the passage of the 1975 Agricultural Labor Relations Act in California, which granted farmworkers the right to collective bargaining.
In March, Huerta publicly shared her experiences of sexual abuse by Cesar Chavez during the 1960s, an act she stated she kept secret for decades to protect the farmworker movement. She explained that following a New York Times investigation into Chavez's alleged misconduct, she felt compelled to speak her truth, stating, "I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences."
In recognition of her extensive work, then-President Barack Obama awarded Huerta the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, calling her an inspiration for his campaign slogan "Yes, we can," a translation of Huerta's own rallying cry, "Sí, se puede."
Huerta, who was a mother to 14 children, remained an active advocate throughout her life. In a 2017 interview, she emphasized the importance of sharing the stories of marginalized groups, stating, "People will grow up ignorant of the contributions of people of color or of women or of the LGBT community, of labor unions, etc. We have this abysmal ignorance of women inside America."