Dolores Huerta was a hard-working activist and labor leader during the mid-1950s and still is to this day. Dolores was a single mother with 11 children; she had three spouses, two of whom did not last long, and one with whom her spouse passed in 2011. Huerta was born on April 10th, 1930, in a ghost town called Dawso, located in New Mexico. In 1955, she became an activist to fight for the lives and rights of farmworkers and other vulnerable populations, such as women, people of color, the LGBT+ community, etc. 

Dolores viewed the world as one where power belonged to the people. She valued many things, but most of all, she valued human rights and democracy. During her time as an activist, she co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) along with Cesar Chavez, another well-known activist, in 1962. Dolores helped with the Delano Grape Strike in 1965, a five-year movement. She also led boycotts to protest working conditions, which led to improvements in safety measures and secured crucial benefits. Dolores faced many challenges throughout her journey as an activist, such as police brutality, racism, sexism, and her own personal problems. In 1972, Dolores created the slogan “Si, se puede”, which became a rallying cry for the UFW.

Despite going through harsh challenges, Dolores never gave up, and because of that, she accomplished many things. In 2002, she founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation (DHF), and in 2012, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom award. With everything she’s done, she leaves a positive impact on society today. I believe that Dolores Huerta should be remembered for all the fighting she’s done for the rights of not only farmworkers, but other vulnerable groups as well.

“Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute to change the world.” – Dolores Huerta