Even though Dolores Huerta lived to 96 years old, the news of her death stunned many of her friends, who remembered her as a powerful leader and enduring force in the farm workers movement.
Huerta coined the popular phrase “Si se puede,” or “Yes we can,” which empowered the farm workers movement. She was remembered for that and much more.
Dr. Vernon Harper Jr., president of Cal State Bakersfield, said he lost a friend and constant supporter. “I was staggered. I had to stop and take it in. We were on our way, walking to a conference, I was going to give a speech. I just needed a moment to collect myself,” Harper said.
Harper laid flowers at the bench dedicated to Huerta on the west side of the campus. “She’s an icon, a national treasure. We’re standing here in front of the bench that we created for her. The movement that she led, changed this nation. She was very focused on all workers and ensuring that workers have rights and that changed the course of this country,” he said.
Kern County District 5 Supervisor Leticia Perez said she was surprised to hear that Huerta died. Perez said she saw Huerta two weeks ago and described her as full of energy.
“It’s been a heavy morning, thinking about the beauty of my friendship with Dolores Huerta. An incredible human being that she was. Remembering her in a new light,” Perez said.
Perez also said, “Dolores was born to lead and she had an influence over others that was palpable and spiritual.”
Farm owner Steve Murray said Huerta’s legacy became complicated recently, but that did not take away from the impact she made.
“Dolores Huerta was admired by many and it’s a sad day. She made a great contribution to the community and the fundraising and the benefits that came to the community and her social activity later in life. She’ll be missed and loved,” said Murray, owner of Murray Family Farms.
The Cesar Chavez Foundation sent Eyewitness News a statement:
“Our sincerest condolences go out to her family and loved ones, especially those of them who worked closely with us over the years. Dolores’ seven-plus decades of activism inside and outside the movement inspired people from all walks of life and left it a more equitable country.”
– Manuel H. Bernal, President, CCF
The United Farm Workers Foundation also released a statement:
“It is with deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Dolores Huerta, a pioneering labor and civil rights leader whose lifelong fight for dignity and justice left an indelible mark on our nation. Our hearts go out to the Dolores Huerta family and everyone whose life she touched. Dolores was a remarkable leader whose work transformed the lives of so many, especially farm workers and working families. Her lifelong dedication to equity and collective action leaves an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire us and generations to come. As we grieve this loss, we honor Dolores’ contributions and recommit ourselves to carrying forward her belief in the power of organizing and solidarity.”
– Erica Lomeli Corcoran, UFW Foundation CEO
A statement from the Kern County Democratic Party:
Today, our hearts are incredibly heavy upon hearing the news that we lost our beloved and cherished Dolores Huerta at her home here in Bakersfield.
“Dolores was an icon to so many and, while we may have shared her with the world, Kern County was fortunate enough to be the place that she and her family called home,” said Christian Romo, chair of the Kern County Democratic Party.
“Dolores was the mother of our movement and a trailblazer for so many of us. Her legacy will live on forever through the countless individuals she helped to train, organize and mentor. We will forever miss our friend and will continue the good fight in her memory,” added Romo.
It’s difficult to incapsulate all of Dolores’ accomplishments in her 96 years of life, because the list is long. Dolores was co-founder of the United Farm Workers, she was a feminist, a social activist, a humanitarian and a leader. She was a force to be reckoned with who helped lead strikes and boycotts in the 1960s and ’70s that unionized California table-grape growers — this at a time when women did not typically have a seat at the table. She helped change labor laws that improved the lives of workers who toiled in the fields and fed our nation.
She was someone who never stopped working as evidenced by her leadership at the Dolores Huerta Foundation, advocating for social justice by empowering marginalized communities through grassroots organizing, civic engagement and education initiatives. She was someone we could count on, someone we looked up to and a woman who could command and inspire people in a crowded room when leading her familiar chant: “Sí, se puede!”
Although small in stature, she was arguably the biggest presence in the room. Dolores was always here to support our local Kern Democratic Party and our people — whether it be at a rally, protest or fundraiser. It meant the world to us to know she walked along side us in solidarity.
She truly gave women a seat at the table. She made people who toiled in the fields feel seen. She gave a voice to the voiceless. And we cannot forget, that she was a mother, grandmother and a great-grandmother. Our thoughts are with her family members, who we know were with her when she passed. It brings us comfort to know she was surrounded by so much love.
We will miss our beloved Dolores, but we know that legends never die.”