Dolores Huerta, Farmworker Movement Leader, Dies at 96

Dolores Huerta, the labor and civil rights leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers with César Chávez, has died at 96 at her home in Bakersfield. Her organizing helped lead the California grape boycott and win better wages and working conditions for farmworkers, while her advocacy extended to women, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized communities. Huerta’s rallying cry, “¡Sí, se puede!,” became a broader call for social change, and she continued urging civic engagement and supporting causes into her 90s. People who worked with her remembered her as a generous mentor whose example inspired generations of activists to organize and believe they could make a difference. In March 2026, Huerta also publicly alleged that Chávez sexually assaulted her, adding a painful dimension to the history of the movement they built together.