Dolores Huerta, labor leader and community mentor, dies at 96

Dolores Huerta, the longtime labor organizer who helped build the United Farm Workers of America, died Wednesday at age 96. She succumbed to cancer. For decades, Huerta served as a central figure in the Chicano power movement and American labor history, working to improve conditions for farmworkers across the United States.

Her life story began with modest origins as the daughter of a coal miner. She rose to become one of the country’s premier labor leaders. While she received many awards, Huerta often downplayed her own achievements in public settings. At a summer conference for Latino high school students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the early 2010s, she spoke for a short time to a large audience. She encouraged the teenagers to improve themselves, arguing that this personal growth would lift their communities. The session ended with the group chanting “Sí se puede.”

Organizers at that event noted that Huerta charged a small fee for her appearance. This was far less than the $25,000 requested by another prominent Latina author speaking at the same conference. She did this because she wanted to reach the students. In her later years, Huerta remained highly active. She attended protests, college talks, and art events without always being invited. Her calendar filled with commitments to support emerging artists and filmmakers, as well as community groups.

Her personal history included a significant revelation this year. In an interview with The New York Times, Huerta stated that her co-founder Cesar Chavez had raped her in the 1960s and fathered two of her children. She said she stayed silent about the abuse for decades to protect the movement they had created. Her activism continued despite this burden. She was a mother to 14 children and maintained a public presence that many described as approachable. She frequently stopped for photos and conversations with fans.

Huerta also faced criticism from within the Latino community. She defended Chavez against some critics and dismissed progressive activists who objected to her close ties with establishment Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris. In a phone conversation with a journalist, Huerta defended Chavez’s stance on immigration. She told the reporter, “You have it all wrong on Cesar.” She later invited the journalist to meet her in Bakersfield, where her nonprofit is located, to discuss the disagreement further.

Her nonprofit remains based in Bakersfield, California. Huerta’s work continued until recently. Her death marks the end of a long career in which she balanced major institutional achievements with a personal style that emphasized direct connection with the people she supported.