Dolores Huerta: key obituary facts
Is Dolores Huerta dead? Yes. Dolores Huerta died on October 28, 2026, at age 96.
Cause of death: Dolores Huerta's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Dolores Huerta known for?
She was an American labor leader.
More about Dolores Huerta
Born: 10 April 1930.
Place of birth: Dawson.
Gender: female.
Occupation: trade unionist, activist, social activist, civil rights advocate.
Nationality: United States.
Education: San Joaquin Delta College, University of the Pacific, Stockton High School.
Awards: Four Freedoms Award – Freedom from Want, Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights, National Women's Hall of Fame, Labor Hall of Honor, California Hall of Fame, Presidential Medal of Freedom, Humanitarian of the Year, Ohtli Award.
Known for: Co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, Delano grape strike, "Sí se puede".
Dolores Huerta, an American labor leader and co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, died October 28, 2026, aged 96.
Born Dolores Clara Fernández in Dawson, New Mexico, she became a leading organizer of farmworkers and a prominent advocate for civil rights and women’s rights. After working with the Community Service Organization, Huerta established the National Farm Workers Association with Cesar Chavez and Gilbert Padilla.
The union later joined the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to form the United Farm Workers. In 1965, Huerta joined Filipino labor leader Larry Itliong in the Delano grape strike, organizing boycott campaigns on the East Coast and negotiating with grape companies. The slogan “Sí se puede,” meaning “yes we can,” is often associated with her; some credit her with coining it. Huerta later worked to increase Latina women’s participation in politics and supported women’s reproductive rights. In 2002, she founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation, a civic advocacy organization based in Bakersfield, California. Her work also extended to Democratic politics, LGBTQ rights and immigration reform. Over the course of her career, Huerta received honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights and induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.