Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.dailymail.com
Dolores Huerta, the labor rights advocate who galvanized followers with her ‘Sí Se Puede!’ clarion call, is being remembered by the world of politics and Hollywood following her death at age 96.
Huerta was the co-founder of the United Farm Workers union, an organization she founded with Cesar Chavez which advocated for the rights of migrant workers.
Through her work, she helped improve the conditions of laborers in the vegetable and fruit fields.
‘We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved mother, Dolores Huerta, has passed away today,’ her family said in a statement to CNN.
Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama remembered Huerta shortly after news of her passing, with the politician calling her his ‘hero.’
Obama awarded Huerta with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
Dolores Huerta, the labor rights advocate who galvanized followers with her ‘Sí Se Puede!’ clarion call, is being remembered by the world of politics and Hollywood following her death at age 96
Huerta was the co-founder of the United Farm Workers union, an organization she founded with Cesar Chavez
‘Dolores Huerta was a hero of mine,’ he posted. ‘When she co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, people thought Dolores was crazy. “How are you going to organize farm workers,” she remembered being asked. “They are poor, powerless immigrants.”
‘But that’s exactly what she did, helping thousands of migrant laborers working in brutal conditions make their voices heard, and demand something better.
‘Dolores spent the rest of her life fighting for marginalized communities, even as she herself faced sexism and abuse — including, as she revealed earlier this year, from Cesar Chavez and others within her own movement. She also came up with a pretty good slogan, “Si, se puede” — Yes, we can — that I too often get credit for. But as usual, Dolores got there first.
‘Michelle and I are thinking of Dolores’s family, the people whose lives she changed, and everyone who drew inspiration from her example.’
Eva Longoria also remembered the late advocate as someone who was more than an ‘icon.’
‘I can’t believe she’s gone. I can’t imagine a world without Dolores Huerta in it,’ the actress began.
‘To me, Dolores was so much more than an icon. She was my mentor, my teacher of life, and one of the greatest examples of what it means to be a human being. She taught me that a life of purpose is a life of service. That courage means standing up for others, even when it’s difficult. And that one person, armed with conviction, compassion, and an unwavering belief in justice, can change the world.
Former President Barack Obama, who awarded Huerta with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, called her his ‘hero’ in a tribute
‘Dolores dedicated her entire life to fighting for people, lifting up voices that had been silenced, and reminding us that we all have a responsibility to make this world better than we found it.
‘There will be an enormous void without her. A space that can never truly be filled. But the extraordinary thing about Dolores is that her life’s work lives on in every person she inspired, every barrier she broke, and every generation she taught to stand up and fight for what is right.
‘I will miss her wisdom, her strength, her spirit, and above all, her humanity.
‘How lucky we were to have her. How lucky I was to learn from her.
‘Gracias, Dolores. Por todo. Sí, se puede. Siempre.’
America Ferrera, who played Cesar Chavez’s wife Helen Chavez in the 2014 biography, sent her ‘deep love’ and condolences to Huerta’s family as she remembered her life and legacy.
Eva Longoria also remembered the late advocate as someone who was more than an ‘icon’
America Ferrera, who played Cesar Chavez’s wife Helen Chavez in the 2014 biography, sent her ‘deep love’ and condolences to Huerta’s family as she remembered her life and legacy
‘Today I celebrate the beautiful and purposeful life that Dolores Huerta lived. I’m so grateful we had her in the world for 96 long years!! She undeniably made other peoples’ lives better and she ALWAYS showed up right to the end to fight with love and to dance with joy. May we carry her legacy in our actions and to the polls! She would demand no less of us! My deep love and condolences to her family and friends. Si Se Puede!!!’
Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, also paid tribute to the late icon.
‘Dolores Huerta represented the best of us,’ he said. ‘California — and the United States — would not be what we are today without her resolute spirit, her passion for justice and fairness, and her commitment to those overlooked and forgotten.
‘Dolores’ fight for gender equity, workers’ rights, and civil rights paved the way for generations to come — teaching people what was possible with determination and heart.
‘Her legacy lies not just in the accomplishments she achieved, but in the people who follow in her footsteps, take up the mantle, and keep creating a better world.’
Huerta’s passing was announced by her family, who said in a statement obtained by CNN: ‘We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved mother, Dolores Huerta, has passed away today.’
‘As you can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for us,’ her family said, ‘and we ask for privacy as we grieve this incredible loss to our family. We know that many of you around the world share in our mourning, and we will be following up on plans to recognize and celebrate her incredible life and legacy.’
Huerta launched what would become the United Farm Workers Union with Chavez in 1962 to advocate for the rights of agriculture workers
Huerta launched what would become the United Farm Workers Union with Chavez in 1962 to advocate for the rights of agriculture workers.
The union organized a four-year long boycott of grapes in 1966 and protests asking restaurants to support union-grown products were launched, according to CNN.
That same year, Huerta negotiated with key figures in the industry while Chavez embarked on a 300-mile march from Delano, California to Sacramento, the state’s capital.
Chavez died in 1993 and was celebrated as a hero for his advocacy, but earlier this year was plunged in a legacy-ending controversy after the New York Times reported accusations of him sexually abusing and grooming girls as young as 12.
Huerta also accused Chavez of sexual assault in the report, and claimed in a statement that she was ‘manipulated and pressured into having sex with him’ and a second incident where she ‘was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.’
She became pregnant twice as a result of the encounters and arranged for the children to be given to other families, she said.
‘I have kept this secret long enough,’ she wrote. ‘My silence ends here.’
