Quick Info
| Profession | Labor leader and civil rights activist |
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| Nationality | American |
| Date of Birth | 10/04/1930 |
| Age | 96 years |
| Birthplace | Dawson, New Mexico, United States |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
Latest News about Dolores Huerta
Reports published on 28 October 2026 announced that Dolores Huerta, the labor rights leader and co-founder of the United Farm Workers, had died at age 96. The exact date of death was not stated in the reports reviewed, so the Date of Death field has been left blank.
Huerta made her first public appearance in Los Angeles since disclosing the allegations against Chavez, attending the unveiling of a mural titled 'Walking into History' at the Barclay Hotel. The mural, by muralist Robert Vargas, honors her decades-long legacy as a labor organizer and civil rights activist.
Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed April 10, 2026 as Dolores Huerta Day in California, her 96th birthday. The proclamation honored her contributions to the labor, civil rights, and women's movements.
Huerta spoke on camera for the first time with ABC News about her allegations that co-founder Cesar Chavez sexually abused her. She said Chavez pressured her into sex when she was in her 20s, later raped her, and that she had two children as a result, both of whom were raised by other families.
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Bio/Wiki
| Summary | Dolores Clara Fernandez Huerta is an American labor leader and feminist activist known for co-founding the National Farm Workers Association, later the United Farm Workers, with César Chávez. She is credited with the rallying cry 'Sí se puede' and is widely recognized for her work on farmworker rights, women's rights, and voter registration. In 2026 she publicly stated that Cesar Chavez had sexually abused her, and she described herself as a survivor. |
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Educational Qualification(s)
| Secondary | Stockton High School |
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| Undergraduate | Teaching credential from the University of the Pacific's Stockton College, now San Joaquin Delta College |
Personal Life
| Early Life | Born in a mining town in northern New Mexico, she moved with her mother and two brothers to Stockton, California after her parents divorced, and spent most of her childhood and early adult life there. |
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| Activism Style | Her approach to organizing considered the distinct needs of women workers and the children of farmworkers, and she supported nonviolent action. |
Relationships & More
| Spouses |
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| Partner | Richard Chavez (deceased) |
Family
| Father | Juan Fernández, a farm worker, miner, and union activist who was elected to the New Mexico legislature in 1938 |
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| Mother | Alicia Chávez, an independent businesswoman who ran a hotel in Stockton |
| Siblings | Two brothers |
| Children | Has several children |
Career
| Early Career | Briefly taught elementary school before turning to labor organizing after seeing hungry farmworker children at school. |
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| Organizing | In 1955 she co-founded the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization, which ran voter registration drives and economic improvement efforts. |
| Farmworker Movement | Co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962 with César Chávez, which became the United Farm Workers, and served as its vice-president for about four decades. |
| Later Work | Founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation, which focuses on education, civic engagement, and social justice, and co-founded the Feminist Majority Foundation. |
| Honors |
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Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. She played a role in the Delano grape strike of the 1960s. | |
| 2. She stood beside Robert F. Kennedy on the night he won the California Democratic primary in 1968, shortly before he was assassinated. | |
| 3. In 1988, while protesting for workers' rights in San Francisco, she was beaten by police and suffered broken ribs and internal injuries. | |
| 4. Numerous murals and corridos have been created in her honor. | |
| 5. Her mother's hotel housed low-wage workers, often without charge, which influenced Huerta's activism. |
