Dolores Huerta, the woman who started the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez in the 1960s, has died at the age of 96, her family said in a statement. The family shared the news on Facebook. They said this is a very hard time for them and asked for privacy. They did not say what caused her death.
“We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved mother, Dolores Huerta, has passed away today at the age of 96. 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,” her family wrote on Instagram. “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.”
If you care about fair pay, women’s rights, or the idea that everyday people can stand up to big power, you owe Dolores a thank you. Dolores started out as a teacher, but she did not stay in the classroom. She got a teaching degree and taught for a short time in the 1950s. Then she saw hungry farm kids coming to school and felt she had to help organize their parents. She saw kids going without, and she did not just feel bad. She went to work to change things. Huerta helped come up with “Sí, se puede,” which means “Yes, we can.” The United Farm Workers eventually made it their slogan.
RELATED: Eric Bauza, the Voice Behind Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, Dies at 46
However, the fight cost her. In 1988, when she was 58, a police officer hurt her while she was protesting against presidential candidate George H.W. Bush. She kept on pushing anyway. She also had to deal with sexism in rooms where she was often the only woman. She fought for immigrants, spoke out against unfair treatment of women, and changed how people saw women, wives, and moms on the picket lines.
Her family was part of her story, too. She leaves behind 13 children and the foundation with her name in Bakersfield. Her youngest son, Ricky, once said the family had to share their mom with the world. As Dolores remembered it, she shared the world with us.
She never really slowed down, either. This past June, at age 96, she went to Hartford, Connecticut, to get a Living Legend award at a leadership event for Latinas. Almost a hundred years old, and she was still showing up.
Rest in power, Dolores. We will take it from here.