Dolores Huerta

Dolores Huerta
Huerta in 2017
Born
Dolores Clara Fernández

(1930-04-10)April 10, 1930
Dawson, New Mexico, U.S.
DiedOctober 28, 2026(2026-10-28) (aged 96)
Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Labor leader and activist

Dolores Huerta (born Dolores Clara Fernández; April 10, 1930 – October 28, 2026) was an American labor leader and civil rights activist. Huerta, along with César Chávez, founded the National Farmworkers Association. This later became the United Farm Workers (UFW).

Activism

After working with the Community Service Organization (CSO), she co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) with fellow activists Cesar Chavez and Gilbert Padilla, which eventually merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) to become the United Farm Workers (UFW). Huerta joined Filipino leader Larry Itliong in the Delano grape strike in 1965, managing boycott campaigns on the east coast and negotiating with the grape companies to end the strike. She was said to have helped create the "sí se puede" (transl. 'yes we can') slogan.

Although she was against some feminist ideas, such as the right to abortion and contraception, Huerta eventually became a strong supporter of women's rights. She worked with the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) to help Latina women become more active and visible in politics, campaigned for women's reproductive rights, and was an honorary co-chair of the 2017 Women's March in Washington, D.C.

In 2002, she founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation (DHF), a civic advocacy organization based in Bakersfield, California. She was active in Democratic politics and supported the campaigns of Robert F. Kennedy, George McGovern, Al Gore, Howard Dean, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris.

She was also a supporter of LGBTQ rights and immigration reform.

Awards

Huerta received many awards for her community service and her support for workers', immigrants', and women's rights. These include the Eugene V. Debs Foundation Outstanding American Award, the United States Presidential Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Huerta was a role model to many in the Native Hispanic Latin-American community. She was the subject of many corridos (ballads) and paintings.

Sexual abuse experiences

In March 2026, Huerta said she was sexually abused by Cesar Chavez, saying that Chavez had raped her and they had two children together. She later said she gave those two children away to other families.

Death

Huerta died at her home in Bakersfield, California, on October 28, 2026 from cancer, at the age of 96.

References

  1. ↑ Godoy, Maria (September 27, 2017). "Dolores Huerta: The Civil Rights Icon Who Showed Farmworkers 'Sí Se Puede'". NPR. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Biography: Dolores Clara Fernandez Huerta". National Women's History Museum, Education & Resources. Archived from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  3. ↑ Fernandez, Manny; Hurtes, Sarah (2026). "Cesar Chavez, a Civil Rights Icon, Is Accused of Abusing Girls for Years". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 18, 2026 – via archive.today tqOV3 (2026-03-18).
  4. ↑ Karlamangla, Soumya (2026-03-18). "Dolores Huerta Issues Statement on Cesar Chavez Sexual Abuse Allegations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
  5. ↑ McFadden, Robert D. (October 28, 2026). "Dolores Huerta, Labor Leader and Force for Civil Rights, Has Died". The New York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Muere Dolores Huerta, histórica líder de los derechos de los trabajadores agrícolas" [Dolores Huerta, historic leader of farmworkers' rights, dies] (in Spanish). KMEX-TV. October 28, 2026. Retrieved October 28, 2026.

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