Dolores Huerta dies at 96 after leading farm labor movement

Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union and popularized the slogan “Sí, se puede!”, has died. She was 96.

Huerta’s family announced the news in a statement through her foundation. They said she died at home on Wednesday.

She was born in New Mexico and grew up in California’s San Joaquin Valley. There, she worked as a school teacher and helped start a local group that fought segregation and police brutality. She later turned her attention to farm laborers. In the process, she co-founded the organization with César Chavez that became the United Farm Workers of America.

Her work earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. President Barack Obama presented the award in 2012. He described her as a tenacious leader and joked that he had borrowed her slogan for his 2008 campaign.

This year, Huerta revealed that Chavez sexually abused her in the 1960s. She said the abuse led to the birth of two children. She kept the story secret for 60 years and long after Chavez died. She explained that she stayed silent because she feared the news would compromise her life’s work and unravel progress for workers. After sharing the story, she urged people to stand firm in fighting for their rights.

From the early 1970s on, Huerta lived with Richard Chavez, César’s brother. They had four children together. She also had seven children from two earlier marriages.

Even into her mid-90s, Huerta marched and spoke in cities across the country. She addressed issues of race, poverty, and women’s rights on behalf of her California-based Dolores Huerta Foundation.