PHOENIX — Arizona mourned the loss of Dolores Huerta, the legendary labor organizer who died Wednesday at age 96 from cancer. Surrounded by family in her Bakersfield home, Huerta left a legacy of advocacy that continues to shape farmworkers’ rights, women’s leadership, and civil‑rights activism across the nation.
Local students felt her presence
Earlier this month, Huerta visited the University of California, Merced’s Community and Labor Center, where she met a group of farmworkers’ descendants. Many students choked back tears as the 94‑year‑old listened to their stories. “It was transformative,” said Ana Padilla, executive director of the center. “Dolores was so accessible; she could connect with anyone instantly.”
Never stopped fighting
Even in her 90s, Huerta lived up to her rallying cry, “¡Sí, se puede!” She marched alongside protesters, appeared on countless panels, and lent her voice to progressive causes well into her final years. Her advocacy extended beyond Latino farmworkers to African‑American communities, the LGBTQ+ community, and women’s rights.
Political influence
Huerta co‑founded the National Farm Workers Association with César Chávez in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers of America. The organization fought for fair wages, reasonable hours, and basic workplace amenities such as restroom access. Over the decades, she encouraged voter participation and urged more Latinos to run for office.
Personal courage
In 1988, while protesting a Republican presidential appearance in San Francisco, Huerta was beaten by a police officer, sustaining broken ribs and a ruptured spleen. She later secured an $825,000 settlement and used the experience to broaden her activism into the feminist movement, recognizing the undervalued contributions of women caregivers.
Tributes from across the country
Students, scholars, and community leaders shared memories of Huerta’s boundless energy. Irasema Coronado, director of Arizona State University’s School of Transborder Studies, recalled meeting Huerta on a feminist‑focused cruise ship two decades ago and later seeing her at protests in Phoenix, New Mexico, and Texas. “She was everywhere and always on the right side of history,” Coronado said.
Kathy Spillar, executive director of the Feminist Majority Foundation, noted that Huerta faced sexism as the sole woman in many organizing rooms, yet she persisted, demanding change and helping launch the foundation in the late 1980s.
Impact on Arizona
Arizona leaders recently lauded Huerta’s “immeasurable” impact on the state, noting that many schools and community centers bear her name. The state, along with Washington, Oregon, and New Mexico, will honor her on her April 10 birthday.
Following revelations that Chávez had abused women and girls, Huerta rejected proposals to replace his name on public sites with hers, insisting that honors should recognize the collective sacrifice of farmworkers, organizers, and families.
Legacy for future generations
Huerta’s message to young people, especially women, was clear: “I hope they know they have a place and never be afraid to take leadership.” Anabelle Sanchez, a 20‑year‑old Mexican‑American student at Michigan State University, said Huerta’s courage inspired her to pursue public service.
Through the labor center in Merced, founded in 2020 after Huerta lobbied state lawmakers for funding, her influence continues to empower new activists. As Padilla reflected, “She would want to spend as much time as she could with you, treating everyone the same.”
Dolores Huerta’s passing marks the end of an era, but her spirit of solidarity and relentless advocacy lives on in the countless individuals she inspired across Arizona and the nation.
Original reporting: azfamily KTVK/KPHO Phoenix (news) — read the source article.
