Dolores Huerta, pioneering labor leader and civil rights icon, dies at 96
By Ray Sanchez, Norma Galeana, Chelsea Bailey, CNN
(CNN) — Dolores Huerta, a pioneering labor organizer and civil rights icon who cofounded the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez in the 1960s, died at 96, her family said in a statement Wednesday.
“We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved mother, Dolores Huerta, has passed away today,” the statement said.
Dolores Clara Fernandez was born April 10, 1930, in Dawson, New Mexico. After her parents divorced, Huerta and her siblings were raised by their mother, Alicia, a businesswoman and active member of their agricultural community.
Huerta devoted much of her life to improving working conditions for farmworkers and championing the rights of marginalized communities. Yet her contributions to the farmworkers’ movement were long overshadowed by those of Cesar Chavez.
Earlier this year, Huerta revealed to The New York Times that in 1966 – at the height of the UFW’s boycott – Chavez allegedly drove her to a secluded grape field in Delano, California, and raped her.
Huerta told the Times she didn’t report the attack – or a previous incident in 1960 where she said Chavez pressured her into having sex with him during a work trip – because of police attitudes toward their movement, and because she feared no one in their union would believe her.
Memorial arrangements will be announced later, the family said.
“As you can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for us, and we ask for privacy as we grieve this incredible loss to our family. We know that many of you around the world share in our mourning, and we will be following up on plans to recognize and celebrate her incredible life and legacy.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
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