Dolores Huerta Dies At 96

Dolores HuertaDolores HuertaAmerican labor leader died Wednesday at age 96 at her home in Bakersfield, California. Her family spokesperson said she died of cancer. In March 2026, Huerta said César ChávezCesar ChavezMexican-American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist (1927–1993) had sexually abused her in the 1960s, including raping her, and that two pregnancies resulted. She said she stayed silent for decades to protect the farmworker movement. Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers AssociationUnited Farm WorkersAmerican labor organization with Chávez in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers. The union organized strikes and boycotts for better farmworker pay and conditions. Her family asked for privacy and said it would later share plans to honor her life. Public commemoration plans had not been announced.