LOS ANGELES— Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, and longtime civil rights activist, died Wednesday. She was 96.
Huerta, a tireless organizer and activist, and MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) worked together on many civil-rights matters. Huerta was awarded by MALDEF with a Lifetime Achievement for Excellence in Community Service Award in 2010 at our Washington, DC gala.
Please attribute the following statement to Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF president and general counsel:
“No amount of words could adequately convey all of Dolores Huerta’s achievements and contributions to American society. Her tireless efforts inspired literally millions of people in the broad struggle for civil and human rights throughout the nation. She provided powerful and impactful trial testimony as a witness in one of MALDEF’s most important recent voting rights cases. Dolores was such an ever-present figure well into her mid-90s that some of us deluded ourselves into believing that she would literally be around forever. Of course, that was impossible. But, obviously, she will be around forever because of her legacy of strength, ideas, courage, and inspired leaders at all levels. In her life Dolores led countless assemblies of people in her trademark ‘vivas’, so we appropriately end with a heartfelt: ‘Que viva Dolores Huerta!’”