By Karim Hammam
Labor rights icon Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers, has died at the age of 96, her family announced on October 28, 2026. The family shared the news in a statement on her official Instagram account, requesting privacy as they grieve.
Co-founded United Farm Workers
Huerta established the National Farm Workers Association alongside Cesar Chavez and Gilbert Padilla, which later became the United Farm Workers. Their efforts secured the first farmworker union contracts in U.S. history.
Presidential Medal of Freedom
In 2012, Huerta received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her decades of advocacy in civil rights and women's equality.
