Dolores Huerta, Pioneering Labor Activist and Co-Founder of United Farm Workers, Dies at 96

Dolores Huerta, a towering figure in the American labor movement and a co-founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW), died Wednesday at her home in Bakersfield, California. She was 96. The cause of death was cancer, according to a spokesperson.

News of Huerta's death was shared through her Instagram account, with a post stating, "We know that many of you around the world share in our mourning, and we will be following up on plans to recognize and celebrate her incredible life and legacy."

A Life Dedicated to Activism

Huerta dedicated her life to advocating for a wide range of social justice causes, including labor rights, immigrants' rights, and women's rights. She is widely credited with coining the influential slogan "Sí se puede," which translates to "Yes we can" and was later adopted by Barack Obama during his presidential campaigns.

Born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, New Mexico, Huerta's early life was shaped by her parents' activism and a commitment to justice. After her parents' divorce, her mother, Alicia Chávez, opened a hotel in Stockton, California, often providing affordable housing to low-wage workers. Huerta credited her mother's example for her own feminist beliefs. Her early experiences as a student and later as an elementary school teacher, witnessing the hardships faced by children of farmworkers, further fueled her passion for activism.

In 1955, Huerta met Fred Ross Sr., founder of the Community Service Organization (CSO), who became a significant mentor. Ross taught her community organizing techniques and the importance of demanding action from public officials. While with CSO, Huerta co-founded its Stockton chapter, where she learned the power of her own voice. She also met Cesar Chavez in 1955, who was then an organizer with CSO.

Founding the United Farm Workers

In 1962, Huerta and Chavez left CSO to establish the National Farm Workers Association, which would evolve into the United Farm Workers. The organization was formed in response to the harsh working conditions faced by agricultural laborers in California, including low wages, lack of benefits, and inadequate access to basic necessities like bathrooms and water.

Huerta and Chavez were instrumental in advocating for the end of the Bracero Program, a guest worker program between the U.S. and Mexico that they believed contributed to worker exploitation. The program officially ended in 1964.

Their activism included organizing large-scale boycotts, strikes, and hunger strikes. The Delano grape strike and boycott, beginning in 1965, brought national attention to the plight of farmworkers and eventually led to industry-wide labor contracts. Huerta's strategic organizing was crucial to the success of these campaigns, which aimed to force employers to improve working conditions.

While Chavez often received widespread public recognition, historians acknowledge Huerta's equally vital role in shaping the farmworker movement. A 2015 interview with the National Portrait Gallery highlighted Huerta's perspective on her role: "I think that’s very typical of women. I had been acculturated to be supportive, to be accommodating, to support men in the work they do. We never think of getting credit or recognition or even taking the power."

In 1975, California passed the Agricultural Labor Relations Act, granting farmworkers the right to unionize, a landmark achievement for which Huerta was recognized as a key figure.

A Legacy of Empowerment

Huerta's activism extended beyond labor rights. In March 2026, she publicly accused Cesar Chavez of sexual abuse, detailing experiences from the 1960s. She stated her reasons for remaining silent for decades were to protect the farmworker movement, coming forward after a New York Times investigation into similar allegations against Chavez.

She was a mother of 11 children, balancing her demanding activism with family life. During the Delano grape boycott, Huerta and her family faced violence and intimidation, yet she continued to organize and mobilize.

Throughout her career, Huerta was arrested more than 20 times. In 1988, she was severely injured by a police officer during a protest in San Francisco. Despite such challenges, she continued her work through the Dolores Huerta Foundation, which she established in 2003.

Huerta received numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award, and honorary doctorates from universities nationwide. In 2015, TIME named her one of the world's most influential people and presented her with the TIME100 Impact Award. In 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill declaring April 10th as Dolores Huerta Day.

"Change comes from the bottom," Huerta said in a 2012 interview. "But you've got to be able to organize those folks at the bottom to be able to get out there and make the changes that they need. And of course, if you don't have organization, then you don't have a democracy."