By Fatma Younis
Dolores Huerta, the celebrated co-founder of the United Farm Workers union and a pivotal figure in the American labor and civil rights movements, died on Wednesday in California at the age of 96, her family announced.
Early Life and Union Activism
Born in New Mexico in 1930, Huerta followed her father, a miner and farm worker, into union activism. She co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Cesar Chavez in the 1960s, leading strikes, boycotts, and protests that significantly improved pay and conditions for agricultural workers.
As a political operative, Huerta worked on the presidential campaigns of several Democratic candidates, including Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 nomination bid and the successful elections of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Legacy and Honors
Huerta is credited with coining the phrase “Sí, se puede!” (Yes, we can), which became the UFW’s slogan and was later adapted by Obama for his 2008 campaign. The UFW described her as both Chavez’s right hand and “the greatest thorn in his side,” noting their intense working relationship.
In interviews published by the New York Times in March 2026, Huerta revealed that Chavez had raped her in 1966, an assault she did not report due to hostility toward the union and fear of disbelief. She later had a long-term domestic partnership with Chavez’s brother, Richard, with whom she had four children; Richard died in 2011.
The union highlighted Huerta’s impact as a fierce advocate for women’s rights, inspiring farm worker women and young women everywhere. Four elementary schools in California, one in Fort Worth, Texas, and a high school in Pueblo, Colorado, bear her name.
In 2012, President Obama awarded Huerta the Presidential Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest civilian honor, at a White House ceremony.
