Dolores Huerta, UFW co-founder and slogan creator, dies at 96

Dolores Huerta, the labor organizer who helped build the United Farm Workers union and popularized the phrase 'Si, se puede,' has died. Her family confirmed the news through her foundation, stating she passed away at her home on Wednesday. She was 96.

Huerta’s path to national prominence began in California’s San Joaquin Valley, where she was raised by a single mother and worked as a schoolteacher. After helping establish a local chapter of a grassroots group that fought segregation and police brutality, she shifted her focus to farm laborers. She and Cesar Chavez co-founded the organization that would become the United Farm Workers of America. Their efforts aimed to improve working conditions in the nation’s fruit and vegetable fields.

The union’s growth relied on a clear, accessible message. Huerta coined the three-word Spanish slogan, which translates to 'Yes, it can be done.' The phrase became a widespread rallying cry grounded in the belief that ordinary people could affect change. Her work over several decades earned her numerous accolades. In 2012, President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. During the ceremony, Obama noted that he had used her slogan for his 2008 campaign.

Huerta’s personal history became a subject of public discussion in 2026. She revealed that Chavez had sexually abused her in the 1960s, a relationship that resulted in the birth of two children. She stated that she kept the secret for 60 years, even after Chavez died, because she feared that coming forward would compromise her life’s work and unravel progress made for workers. Following the revelation, she urged people to stand firm in their fight for rights.

Her family life expanded in the early 1970s when she began a partnership with Richard Chavez, Cesar’s brother. The couple had four children. Huerta also had seven children from two earlier marriages. Her legacy includes a career as one of the nation’s influential labor leaders, civil rights icons, and feminist activists.

Even into her mid-90s, Huerta remained active in public life. She marched and spoke in cities nationwide on topics including race, poverty, and women’s rights. She represented her California-based Dolores Huerta Foundation during these appearances. The foundation continues to carry out her mission in labor and civil rights advocacy.

Her death marks the end of a long career in labor organizing. The United Farm Workers union, which she helped establish, remains a key player in agricultural labor relations. Her foundation will continue to manage her public appearances and advocacy work.