Dolores Huerta, civil rights and labor movement trailblazer, dies at 96

The pioneering activist co-founded the United Farm Workers, fought for marginalized communities and popularized the rallying cry “Sí, se puede.”

Dolores Huerta, the civil rights and labor organizer who helped transform the lives of American farmworkers, died Wednesday, October 28, at age 96. Her organizing reflected the influence of Black and Latino activism, and she was among those honored by President Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.

Her family confirmed the death in a statement, CNN reported. “We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved mother, Dolores Huerta, has passed away today,” her children said. A family spokesperson later told SFGATE that Huerta had been battling cancer. Her family requested privacy and said memorial plans would be shared later.

Born April 10, 1930, in Dawson, New Mexico, Huerta grew up in Stockton, California, with a mother whose community work helped shape her sense of justice. She trained as a teacher but shifted toward organizing after seeing children arrive at school hungry and without adequate clothing.

In 1962, Huerta and César Chávez established the National Farm Workers Association, which helped form the United Farm Workers. She became a formidable negotiator and organizer during campaigns to improve wages, healthcare and working conditions for agricultural laborers.

She played a central role in the Delano grape strike and the national boycott that followed, building on a walkout begun by Filipino farmworkers. The movement won contracts with growers and helped secure greater recognition of farmworkers’ collective bargaining rights in California.

Huerta also coined “Sí, se puede,” meaning “Yes, it can be done,” a rallying cry that later influenced Obama’s “Yes We Can” presidential campaign slogan. Obama presented her with the nation’s highest civilian honor in 2012.

Her advocacy extended beyond farm labor to women’s rights, immigration, voting access and racial equality. Through the Dolores Huerta Foundation, she continued supporting grassroots organizers into her 90s.

In March 2026, Huerta publicly accused Chávez of sexually assaulting her decades earlier. She said she had remained silent because she feared damaging the farmworker movement. Chávez died in 1993.

Huerta’s work helped establish lasting labor protections, while her calls for collective action inspired generations of civil rights organizers.