Civil rights advocate and labor leader Dolores Huerta passes away at 96
Dolores Huerta, a pioneering figure in the fight for farmworkers' rights in the United States and a co-founder of the United Farm Workers organization, has died at her home in California at the age of 96.
U.S. civil rights and labor leader Dolores Huerta passed away on Wednesday at her home in California at the age of 96. According to the news of her death announced by her family in a statement shared on social media, her spokesperson Erik Olvera stated that the cause of death was cancer. Born in New Mexico in 1930, Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (later named the United Farm Workers - UFW) alongside César Chavez and became known for her struggle on behalf of farmworkers.
In the 1960s and '70s, Dolores Huerta played a key role as a chief negotiator, strike organizer, and reformer in signing historic contracts that improved the working conditions of farmworkers. Known as the creator of the slogan "Sí, se puede" (Yes, we can), Huerta was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 2012 by then-U.S. President Barack Obama. Huerta also continued her work on women's rights, poverty, and immigration policies later in her life.