Dolores Huerta, civil rights and labor leader, dies at 96

Dolores Huerta, a pioneering labor organizer and civil rights icon, died on October 28 at her home in Bakersfield, California, at the age of 96. A family spokesperson confirmed she passed away from cancer.

Huerta was a co-founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW) union alongside Cesar Chavez. She is widely recognized for her leadership in the 1965 Delano grape strike and for popularizing the influential Spanish-language rallying cry, “Sí, se puede!” Her activism focused on improving working conditions for migrant farm workers, advocating for women’s equality, and defending immigrant rights.

In 2012, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. Following her death, various public figures, including actress Salma Hayek and actress Eva Longoria, paid tribute to her legacy of service and social justice.