Dolores Huerta, the renowned Mexican‑American labor leader who co‑founded the United Farm Workers, died at her home in Bakersfield, California, at age 96. While her activism spanned the nation, San Antonio felt a personal connection during a December visit that underscored the city’s ongoing push for greater voter participation.
Huerta’s December visit to San Antonio
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones welcomed Huerta as she advocated for moving the city’s municipal elections from May to November. The change, the mayor explained, would align local elections with the general election calendar and encourage more residents to cast ballots.
During the visit, Huerta recalled her first job as a 25‑year‑old organizer, registering voters across the Southwest. “We can think of how many millions of people have really given up their lives in our wars to save democracy,” she said. “And we have a moment here in the City of San Antonio, where democracy is being highlighted, and where the city council members have an opportunity to show that they really do represent the people that elected them.”
Mayor Jones credits Huerta’s influence
Mayor Ortiz Jones said Huerta’s “forceful words” helped her secure the council’s support for the election‑date proposal. In an Instagram post featuring the two women walking arm‑in‑arm, the mayor wrote, “I will cherish the times I was honored to be in her presence, always marveled by her courage and character. May perpetual light shine upon her.”
Local honors and historic street name change
Earlier this year, Huerta’s advocacy prompted San Antonio’s City Council to restore the historic name of Durango Boulevard, reversing the earlier renaming of César Chávez Boulevard. The council voted unanimously in August to revert the street name after Huerta publicly disclosed sexual abuse she and other women suffered at the hands of Chávez, a revered farm‑worker leader.
The controversy also led to the cancellation of the city’s annual march honoring Chávez, reflecting the community’s commitment to confronting painful histories while preserving the broader labor movement’s legacy.
Former mayor Ron Nirenberg reflects on Huerta’s impact
Former Mayor Ron Nirenberg praised Huerta’s influence on generations of San Antonians, stating, “What started as a fight for our farmworkers has grown into a movement for a better nation and a better future for all. We honor her legacy by carrying that fight forward, every single day. Sí se puede.”
Huerta’s continued engagement with San Antonio
Even in her later years, Huerta remained active in the city’s civic life. In 2022 she appeared at La Villita to support then‑gubernatorial hopeful Beto O’Rourke, and in 2020 she returned to encourage Latino residents to vote and to complete the census. “I want to remind all of us of the power we have,” she told the crowd. “The Latinos together with the African American community, with women, feminists — we are the referees in the election. We can call the election. We can make it happen.”
Huerta’s death marks the loss of a steadfast champion for workers’ rights, voting participation, and civil liberties. San Antonio’s leaders and residents alike have pledged to keep her spirit alive through continued advocacy for democratic engagement and social justice.
Original reporting: San Antonio Report — read the source article.
