BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Dolores Huerta, an iconic figure in the labor and civil rights movement whose work began in Kern County, died at her home early Wednesday morning. She was 96.
For more than six decades, Huerta was a relentless force for social justice, challenging the status quo and fighting for people she believed needed a voice. She died surrounded by family.
Huerta helped ignite a movement in Delano in the 1960s, co-founding the United Farm Workers union and battling for the dignity, respect, and rights of farm workers. But her fight didn't end in the fields. Her passion for justice drove her to champion women's rights, immigration reform, LGBTQ rights, and education.
"She was a powerful Chicana, and the fact that she was one of us, and we saw her in such a spotlight. We got to share her with the world," said Bakersfield College history professor Olivia Garcia.
Fellow labor historian Oliver Rosales reflected on her forward-thinking approach to activism.
"For her, I think she was at the cusp, always at the cutting edge, always a forward thinker on so many social justice questions," Rosales said.
Even violence couldn't silence her. In 1988, Huerta suffered multiple broken ribs and a ruptured spleen after being struck by a San Francisco police officer's baton during a demonstration. She recovered, returned to the front lines, and kept fighting.
In an interview last year, I asked Huerta whether she believed her lifelong fight for social justice had truly made a difference.
"The way that you make change is that the people can make it happen. But people have to learn that they have the power to do that," Huerta said. "Si se puede."
Three words that would become a rallying cry around the world. "Si se puede," meaning "Yes, we can," was a phrase Huerta helped make famous and one that would transcend the farm worker movement and inspire generations. Even President Obama acknowledged borrowing from that powerful message.
Huerta continued building bridges and forging alliances, meeting earlier this year with Pope Leo XIV.
"Whether you agree or disagree with her, the mark that she left deserves recognition. She has contributed in so many ways, up to 96 years old," Garcia said.
Condolences from around the world are pouring in to the family. Funeral services are pending.
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