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Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta has died at the age of 96, prompting many Bay Area and state elected officials on Wednesday to mourn her death while celebrating her legacy.
Huerta along with Cesar Chavez co-founded what would become the United Farm Workers union and helped organize workers around California and the country.
Huerta’s family in a statement Wednesday morning announced her death.
“As you can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for us, and we ask for privacy as we grieve this incredible loss to our family,” the statement said. “We know that many of you around the world share in our mourning, and we will be following up on plans to recognize and celebrate her incredible life and legacy.”
Earlier this year, Huerta said Chavez sexually abused her six decades ago, leading many cities to change the names of streets and plazas named after Chavez.
Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered flags on state properties to be flown at half-staff in Huerta’s honor.
“Dolores started off as a teacher, working with the children of farmworkers, and although she moved away from the classroom, she never stopped teaching. As a leader in the National Farm Workers Association, and later the United Farm Workers, she fought for gender equity, workers’ rights, and civil rights, paving the way for generations to come, and teaching people what was possible with determination and heart,” Newsom said.
House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, called Huerta “a dear friend, and we all responded to her rallying cry, ‘Si se puede,’ which inspired generations of Americans to believe in the power of collective action.”
State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, who is running to replace Pelosi in Congress in next week’s election after the former House speaker announced she would not run for reelection, called Huerta “a legend who truly changed our state and our country.”
“Her courage and passion helped build the farmworkers movement, and she never stopped fighting for justice — whether for workers, women, LGBTQ people, immigrants, or victims of climate disasters,” Wiener said. “She energized movements, spoke truth to power, and kept fighting until the end.”
State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, said Huerta “gave voice to the voiceless, dignity to the fields and hope to generations. One of the greatest civil rights leaders in history, she showed us that even in the face of injustice, together we can. SÃ, se puede.”
This story was written by Dan McMenamin for Bay City News Service.
