Civil Rights and Labor Leader Dolores Huerta Passes Away at Age 96

Dolores Huerta, a renowned leader in farmworker rights and civil rights advocacy, died at her home in Bakersfield on Wednesday. She was 96 years old. Huerta had been diagnosed with cancer, and her passing was confirmed by Carla Guerrero from the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

In 1962, Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became part of the United Farm Workers. Her extensive work included organizing impactful boycotts and negotiating crucial labor contracts, earning her recognition as a leading civil rights figure in the United States. President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, famously borrowing her rallying cry, ‘Sí, se puede.’ Huerta’s family has announced plans to celebrate her life while requesting privacy during their time of grief.