Dolores Huerta, Iconic Labor Leader and Civil‑Rights Champion, Dies at 96

Her family posted a statement on social

Dolores Huerta was a central figure in the 1960s labor and civil‑rights movements. She co‑founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Cesar Chavez, a veteran unionist and political activist. The UFW secured higher wages and safer working conditions for farm workers through strikes, boycotts and protests throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Born in New Mexico in 1930, Huerta followed her father, a miner and farm laborer, into union activism. As a political operative, she worked on presidential campaigns for several Democratic candidates. She helped Robert F. Kennedy win the party’s 1968 nomination before his assassination, and later assisted the campaigns that brought Barack Obama and Joe Biden to the White House.

Her family posted a statement on social media expressing deep sorrow. „This is an incredibly difficult time for us, and we ask for privacy as we mourn this huge loss for our family. We know many of you around the world share our grief, and we will announce plans to honor and celebrate her remarkable life and legacy,” the message read.

Huerta is credited with coining the rallying cry „Sí, se puede!” („Yes, we can!”), which became the UFW’s slogan and was later adopted by Obama in his 2008 presidential campaign. The union’s website described her as Chavez’s „right hand” and „the biggest supporter for him.” It added, „The two were known for their explosive arguments, a natural part of a healthy collaborative process.”

In interviews with The New York Times published in March, a month before her 96th birthday

In interviews with The New York Times published in March, a month before her 96th birthday, Huerta revealed a darker side to her relationship with Chavez. After allegations emerged that Chavez, who died in 1993, had sexually abused teenage girls, Huerta disclosed that she herself had been raped by him in the winter of 1966, in a parked car in an isolated grape field in California. She said she did not report the assault because of the hostile climate toward the UFW and fear that no one would believe her.

Huerta later entered a long‑term partnership with Richard Chavez, Cesar’s brother, and together they raised four children. Richard died in 2011. The UFW emphasized that Huerta’s impact extended far beyond farm‑worker women; she was a passionate advocate for women’s rights everywhere. Four elementary schools in California, one in Fort Worth, Texas, and a high school in Pueblo, Colorado, now bear her name.

In 2012, President Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, recognizing her decades of service to labor, civil rights and social justice.