Dolores Huerta: United Farm Workers Co-Founder, Labor Leader, Dies

• Dolores Huerta, a prominent labor leader and civil rights icon, passed away at 96 from cancer in Bakersfield, California.
• She was a co-founder of the United Farm Workers union, dedicated to improving conditions for agricultural laborers.
• Huerta coined the influential rallying cry, “Sí, se puede!” which translates to "Yes, it can be done!".
• Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, she continued her activism for various social justice causes into her nineties.
• This year, Huerta revealed she had two children from sexual abuse by César Chavez in the 1960s, a secret she kept for 60 years.

Her enduring impact is also tied to the creation of the rallying cry, “Sí, se puede!” which translates to "Yes, it can be done!" This powerful three-word Spanish phrase originated from her conviction that collective action could indeed bring about meaningful societal change.

Dolores Huerta, a pivotal figure in American labor and civil rights, passed away at the age of 96. Her death, attributed to cancer, occurred on Wednesday at her residence in Bakersfield, California, where she was surrounded by her family.

Erik Olvera, a spokesperson for the family, confirmed her passing. A statement released by her foundation conveyed the family's sentiment, acknowledging the global shared mourning and promising future plans to honor her "incredible life and legacy."

Even in her nineties, Huerta maintained an active schedule, participating in protests and delivering speeches nationwide. Her advocacy through her Bakersfield-based foundation extended to critical issues such as race, poverty, LGBTQ+ rights, and women's rights, demonstrating her enduring commitment to social justice.

Huerta's unwavering determination solidified her position as one of the nation's most influential labor leaders, civil rights icons, and feminist activists. She is widely recognized as a co-founder of the United Farm Workers union, an organization established with the primary goal of enhancing working conditions within the agricultural fields of the United States.

Her enduring impact is also tied to the creation of the rallying cry, “Sí, se puede!” which translates to "Yes, it can be done!" This powerful three-word Spanish phrase originated from her conviction that collective action could indeed bring about meaningful societal change.

In recognition of her extensive contributions, Huerta was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the nation. President Barack Obama presented this accolade in 2012, commending her as a tenacious leader and famously admitting to adopting her slogan for his own 2008 presidential campaign. Teresa Romero, the current President of the United Farm Workers, issued a statement on Wednesday, emphasizing that Huerta's life was dedicated to empowering her community to confront and overcome injustices. Romero highlighted that Huerta left farmworkers and the entire Latino community in a stronger, more organized state than she found them, underscoring the profound and lasting Dolores Huerta legacy.

Born Dolores Clara Fernandez in Dawson, New Mexico, in 1930, Huerta's early life was shaped by her family's background. Her father was a miner and a union activist who successfully secured a seat in the state Legislature.

Following her parents' divorce when she was three years old, her mother relocated with Huerta and her brothers to California. There, her mother's ownership of a restaurant and hotel provided a foundation for Huerta's understanding of independence, compassion, and activism. Growing up amidst a diverse community of working families—including Mexican, Filipino, African American, Japanese, and Chinese individuals—further informed her perspective.

Huerta initially pursued a career as an elementary school teacher in California's agricultural San Joaquin Valley. However, she became deeply frustrated by the dire living conditions of her students. This frustration led her to a pivotal realization, as she articulated in a 2017 PBS Independent Lens documentary about her life: "I couldn’t stand seeing kids come to class hungry and needing shoes. I thought I could do more by organizing farmworkers than by trying to teach their hungry children." This conviction propelled her into activism, where her early involvement with a civil rights group in Stockton led to her crucial meeting with César Chavez, with whom she would later co-found the National Farm Workers Association, a precursor to the United Farm Workers.

In a significant revelation this year, Huerta disclosed that she had been sexually abused by César Chavez, the co-founder of the farmworker movement, during the 1960s. This abuse resulted in the birth of two children.

This deeply personal secret had been kept for six decades, long after Chavez's death. Huerta explained that her silence stemmed from a fear that coming forward would jeopardize her life's work and undermine the progress achieved for workers.

From the early 1970s onward, Richard Chavez, César's brother, became Huerta's life partner, and they had four children together. Additionally, Huerta had seven children from two previous marriages, bringing her total number of children to thirteen. When questioned in a 2026 interview with Latino USA about her decision to maintain the secret for so long, Huerta reflected, stating, "It was my personal pain, it was my personal problem and, you know, I think it was worth it because it was my cross to bear. I’ll say it that way." This statement underscored the profound personal sacrifice she made for the farmworker movement history and the cause she championed.

This obituary does not present a direct actionable legal angle in terms of new filings or compliance exposures. However, lawyers and compliance officers in labor and civil rights fields should be aware of Dolores Huerta's foundational contributions, as her work significantly shaped the historical and legal landscape of worker protections and social justice in the US.

Source: Original reporting via Associated Press