Dolores Huerta was born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, New Mexico, and grew up in California during a time when being a woman, Latina, and activist meant facing countless obstacles. But if there’s one thing that defines Dolores, it’s her remarkable ability to turn every obstacle into a cause.
From a young age, she experienced injustice firsthand: she saw how farmworkers — many of them Mexican — were exploited, underpaid, and treated without dignity. Instead of accepting it as fate, she decided to take action. With a mix of courage, empathy, and conviction, she began organizing farmworkers and raising her voice for those who couldn’t.
In 1962, together with César Chávez, she co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (United Farm Workers). Together they led historic marches, boycotts, and strikes that forever changed the working conditions of agricultural laborers in the United States. Dolores was one of the strategic minds behind the movement — drafting contracts, negotiating with employers, and delivering speeches that ignited hearts.
Her slogan, “Sí se puede!” (“Yes, it can be done!”), which she coined during a strike in Arizona, became a rallying cry of hope and resistance that transcended generations, movements, and borders. Decades later, that same spirit would go on to inspire political campaigns, social causes, and movements for change around the world.
Throughout her life, Dolores Huerta has been arrested, beaten, and underestimated — but never defeated. Her activism expanded beyond farm labor; she fought for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and fair education for all.
Today, well into her 90s, Dolores Huerta remains an unstoppable force. Through the Dolores Huerta Foundation, she continues to empower Latino communities to engage in civic life and demand social justice.
Dolores is, without a doubt, a legend who never stopped moving forward — a woman who turned indignation into action and reminds us that the fight for human dignity never goes out of style.