BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Many gathered to honor the late labor leader Dolores Huerta with a candlelight vigil near the site of the future Dolores Huerta Peace and Justice Cultural Center in Downtown Bakersfield on Wednesday.
The ceremony was a solemn one as community members and leaders gathered to pay their respects to the late labor leader. Lori de Leon, one of Dolores' children, noted her mother was fearless in her pursuit of better treatment for farmworkers.
“She didn't hesitate, you know. Even though she was a young Latina and a young mother, a single mother at the time, she didn't hesitate going and knocking on doors and talking to the legislators," said de Leon. "She had that courage and that confidence to be able to do that.”
Dozens of residents and community leaders attended to offer their condolences to the family in attendance and honor Huerta’s memory Wednesday night.
Lisa Buckner says Huerta mentored her when she was a young activist in the 1970s, and when asked about the crowd of people who came to the vigil, Buckner said it was a testament to Huerta’s ability to impact people’s lives.
“It will be a big hole in many lives, including my own. She's meant a lot to so many of us over the years, and I'm glad that there are people who are recognizing that she did, in fact, influence them and their lives and what they've done with their lives.”
Among the many speakers at Wednesday night was one of Dolores’ sons, Emilio, who mirrored de Leon’s sentiment of Dolores’ tenacity, and asked those in attendance to think fondly of her.
“She never hesitated to do the hard work, right? She said, if it wasn't hard, then it wouldn't be worth doing," said Emilio. "As you leave here tonight, remember Dolores. Remember what she stood for, remember her values, and you know when the going gets tough, right? As Supervisor [Leticia] Perez said, think about Dolores and what Dolores would have done.”
A date and time for Dolores Huerta's funeral services have not been announced as of Wednesday evening.
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