For decades, Dolores Huerta stood at the forefront of a struggle that sought to give dignity, rights and a voice to some of America’s most overlooked workers.
She marched, organised, negotiated and challenged a system that left generations of farm workers fighting for better wages and working conditions.
Now, the woman whose activism helped shape the American labour movement is gone.
Huerta, a celebrated civil rights leader and co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW), has died at the age of 96, her family has announced.
Her death marks the end of a remarkable life devoted to social justice, political participation and the fight for the rights of marginalised communities.
For many, her legacy is inseparable from the movement she helped build alongside fellow labour leader Cesar Chavez during the 1960s and 1970s.
Together, they organised farm workers, challenged exploitative labour practices and helped bring national attention to the struggles of Hispanic agricultural workers.
But Huerta’s story was never simply about the victories she helped secure.
It was also about the sacrifices, the controversies and the deeply personal experiences that shaped her life.
A Life Dedicated To The Struggle
Huerta became a prominent figure in the labour movement through her work organising farm workers, many of whom faced difficult working conditions and limited political influence.
Her activism helped establish the United Farm Workers as a major force in the fight for agricultural labour rights.
She also helped end the Bracero Program, which brought Mexican men to the United States for temporary agricultural work, and played a role in negotiating the 1986 Immigration Reform Act, according to the union.
Through the Dolores Huerta Foundation, she continued her activism, focusing on immigration, voting rights and political participation.
Her work was driven by a belief that communities often excluded from power should have the opportunity to shape decisions affecting their lives.
That commitment helped make her a prominent voice in the broader American civil rights movement.
The Words That Became A Movement
Among Huerta’s most enduring contributions was the slogan “¡Sí, Se Puede!” — Spanish for “Yes, we can!”
The phrase became a rallying cry for farm workers and activists demanding better treatment and greater opportunities.
The United Farm Workers paid tribute to Huerta on Wednesday, describing her as a woman whose life’s work had empowered her community to confront injustice.
“Her life’s work was to empower her community to face and overcome injustices, and she has left farm workers and the entire Latino community stronger and more organised than she found it,” the union said in a statement.
It added that her commitment to civic engagement and political participation remained a lesson for future generations.
Her influence extended beyond the fields and labour negotiations, helping inspire broader conversations about representation, equality and the power of organised communities.
A Painful Chapter In Her Story
Earlier this year, Huerta made public deeply personal allegations against Chavez, her longtime colleague and fellow co-founder of the United Farm Workers.
The revelations followed a New York Times investigation detailing allegations from Huerta and two other women who said Chavez groomed and sexually abused girls involved in the labour movement.
Huerta said Chavez had manipulated and pressured her into having sex and had forced her on another occasion during the 1960s.
She also disclosed that the two encounters resulted in pregnancies which she kept secret, arranging for the children to be raised by other families.
Chavez, who died in 1993, had long been celebrated as a central figure in the farm workers’ movement.
His family’s response to the reports was one of devastation, while also praising the women for their courage in coming forward.
Meanwhile, the allegations introduced a painful and complicated dimension to the history of a movement whose leaders had become symbols of justice and equality.
You May Like: Libya Return: 37 Children, Infants Among 180 Nigerians Brought Home
For Huerta, the revelations brought personal experiences into the public conversation decades after they had occurred.
A Legacy That Outlives Her
Furthermore, news of Huerta’s death prompted tributes from organisations and activists who recognised her contribution to civil rights and political participation.
María Teresa Kumar, president of the voting rights group Voto Latino, described Huerta as a “civil rights giant” who dedicated her life to fighting injustice.
She said Huerta continued championing the cause until her final days, regardless of people’s backgrounds or origins.
Huerta’s family spokesman, Erik Olvera, said the family was experiencing an incredibly difficult time and requested privacy as they grieved.
“As you can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for us, and we ask for privacy as we grieve this incredible loss to our family,” Olvera said on Wednesday.
Her passing leaves behind a legacy that stretches across generations of workers, activists and communities whose struggles she helped bring into the public eye.
The victories she helped achieve remain part of the history of America’s labour and civil rights movements.
So does the difficult story of the personal experiences she revealed.
At 96, Dolores Huerta leaves behind more than a record of protests, negotiations and political campaigns.
She leaves a reminder that the pursuit of justice can be a lifelong commitment — one that demands courage, persistence and the willingness to confront even the most uncomfortable truths.