Dolores Huerta, the pioneering American labour leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers union and helped transform the fight for farmworkers' rights, has died at the age of 96.
Huerta's family announced her death in a statement issued through her foundation, saying she died at home on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.
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A towering figure in the American labour and civil rights movements, Huerta spent decades campaigning for better wages and working conditions for agricultural workers. She also championed women's rights, immigrant rights and LGBTQ+ equality, remaining active well into her 90s.
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According to an AP report, Huerta's legacy is closely associated with the Spanish-language slogan “Sí, se puede!”, meaning “Yes, it can be done”. The phrase became a rallying cry for social justice movements and later inspired former US President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign slogan.
Obama awarded Huerta the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honour, in 2012, praising her decades of activism.
Born Dolores Clara Fernandez in Dawson, New Mexico, in 1930, Huerta grew up in California, where her mother ran a restaurant and hotel. Her early experiences among working-class families shaped her commitment to social justice.
She initially worked as an elementary school teacher in California's agricultural San Joaquin Valley. Frustrated by the poverty and hunger confronting her students, she decided to organise farmworkers instead.
“I couldn't stand seeing kids come to class hungry and needing shoes,” she recalled in a 2017 PBS documentary, explaining why she turned to activism.
Huerta met labour organiser César Chavez through her work with a civil rights group. In 1962, the two established the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers of America.
She emerged as a key organiser and negotiator, helping secure collective bargaining agreements and improved benefits for agricultural workers. She also supported Filipino grape pickers during the Delano Grape Strike, a pivotal five-year struggle that brought national attention to farmworkers' working conditions.
Her activism extended beyond the fields. Huerta helped mobilise Mexican American voters, worked on Robert F Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign and lobbied politicians on unemployment assistance, disability insurance and pesticide safety.
AP reported that Dolores was arrested 22 times during labour demonstrations. In 1988, she suffered serious injuries after being struck by a police baton during a protest in San Francisco against Republican presidential candidate George H W Bush.
Earlier this year, Huerta disclosed that Chavez had sexually abused her in the 1960s, resulting in the birth of two children. She said she had kept the experience private for six decades, fearing it could undermine the movement's achievements.
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Huerta had 13 children and continued campaigning for social justice long after the peak of the farmworker movement.
She was the first Latina inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame and received nine honorary doctorates from US universities. Reflecting on her life's work, Huerta said her greatest hope was to leave future generations a commitment to justice rather than material wealth.
Her influence extended far beyond organised labour, making her one of the most enduring voices in America's struggle for civil rights and equality.
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