Labor union leader and civil rights pioneer Dolores Huerta dies at 96

American labor leader and civil rights champion Dolores Huerta died on October 28, 2026, at the age of 96, OSV News, France 24, and NPR reported. OSV News said she died from cancer. As HEROIC BREAKING NEWS reported earlier, Huerta died at her home in Bakersfield, California. [1][4][5][9]

Huerta spent her life organizing farmworkers and fighting for human dignity. OSV News reported that Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles described her as a heroic defender of human dignity and a woman of faith who inspired generations of young Hispanic leaders. [1]

Huerta worked for the Community Service Organization before co-founding the National Farm Workers Association with Cesar Chavez and Gilbert Padilla, which later merged to form the United Farm Workers. She joined Larry Itliong in the 1965 Delano grape strike, directed the national grape boycott from 1966 to 1970, and negotiated contracts with grape companies to secure better wages and working conditions for workers. [1][6][8][9]

During these campaigns, Huerta originated the slogan "sí, se puede", meaning "Yes, it can be done". She later founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation in 2002 to continue community organizing. [6][8][9]