Civil rights and labor leader Dolores Huerta died Wednesday morning. Huerta fought for farm workers’ rights in the 1960s and 1970s. She co-founded the United Farm Workers union (UFW) with Cesar Chavez. Earlier this year, Huerta publicly accused Chavez of sexually assaulting her decades ago.
Huerta also became a prominent voice on immigration and voting rights. She coined the phrase “¡Sí, se puede!” or “Yes, we can.”
Hector Vaca, immigrant justice director at Action NC, met Huerta in Charlotte in 2015. Vaca said she was visiting as part of a tour involving the Dolores Huerta Foundation and the National Immigration Law Center.
“Meeting her was a dream come true for me because she's definitely one of the heroes that I have in the organizing world,” Vaca said. “I have a group of people that I've always wanted to meet, and she was at the top of that.”
Vaca said the farm worker movement is often remembered through its male leaders, while women’s contributions, including Huerta’s, receive less attention. He also pointed to her work alongside the broader civil rights movement.
“We wouldn't have many of the rights we have today for the immigrant community or even for all communities if it wasn't for the work that she pioneered,” Vaca said.
Huerta was 96.
