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Politics · October 28, 2026

Labor activist Dolores Huerta dies at 96

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Dolores Huerta, the influential labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (now United Farm Workers), died on Wednesday at the age of 96. Her family confirmed she passed away at her home in Bakersfield, California, from cancer. Huerta was celebrated for her decades of advocacy for farmworkers' rights, during which she coined the motto "Si, Se Puede" and became the first Latina inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Her legacy was also marked by recent public revelations regarding sexual assault she suffered from César Chávez in the 1960s, a detail reported by several outlets following a New York Times investigation earlier in 2026.

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Reported across the spectrum

  • Dolores Huerta died on Wednesday at the age of 96.
  • She co-founded the labor organization that became the United Farm Workers (UFW).
  • Her family released a statement announcing her death and requesting privacy.
  • Huerta was a prominent activist for farmworker rights and gender equality.

Reported by only some outlets

  • Huerta died of cancer at her home in Bakersfield.
  • California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in her honor.
  • Huerta accused César Chávez of raping her in 1966, a claim reported by The New York Times in March 2026.
  • She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2012.
  • Huerta was the first Latina inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993.
  • Gilbert Padilla was named alongside Huerta and Chávez as a co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association.

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