Dolores Huerta, the legendary labor leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 96, according to a statement from her family.
“We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved mother, Dolores Huerta, has passed away today at the age of 96,” the family wrote on Instagram. “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.”
Huerta was a towering figure in the labor movement, dedicating her life to fighting for the rights of farmworkers and other marginalized communities. Her activism spanned the 1960s and beyond, and she also championed women’s and LGBTQ rights in her later years.
A Complicated Legacy
Huerta’s partnership with Chavez, who died in 1993, was historic, but it was also marred by serious allegations. Earlier this year, The New York Times reported that several women had accused Chavez of sexual assault and abuse, some dating back to when they were as young as 12. Following those revelations, Huerta herself came forward with accusations that Chavez had sexually assaulted her on two occasions in the 1960s, leading to pregnancies. She said she gave the children up for adoption.
In a statement, Huerta explained her initial silence, saying she was focused on the movement and securing farmworker rights. “The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights, and I wasn’t going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way,” she wrote. “I channeled everything I had into advocating on behalf of millions of farmworkers and others who were suffering and deserved equal rights.”
The allegations cast a shadow over Chavez’s legacy, prompting California lawmakers to urge against celebrating Cesar Chavez Day and calling for his name to be removed from the holiday. Los Angeles renamed the event “Farm Workers Day.” The Congressional Hispanic Caucus committed to renaming monuments bearing Chavez’s name, and a March poll showed that 51% of Americans supported such a move.
Reactions and Remembrance
News of Huerta’s death sparked an outpouring of tributes on social media. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) wrote on X, “Her courageous leadership in civil disobedience set an invaluable example in nonviolence. Dolores’s memory will live on.”
Her family said they will announce plans to honor her life and legacy. “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,” they said.
Huerta’s death marks the end of an era for the labor movement, and her contributions—along with the complex questions surrounding her relationship with Chavez—will continue to be debated. As the political landscape evolves, her story remains a reminder of the intertwined nature of activism, power, and accountability.
