Dolores Huerta, a civil rights leader known for the rallying cry "Sí se puede," died Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, at age 96. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and spent decades advocating for labor rights and social justice. She was a co-founder of the United Farm Workers with César Chávez.
North Texas civil rights leaders paid tribute to her. Domingo Garcia, LULAC national president, said Huerta fought for people "that nobody thought about," including the people who pick grapes. Hilda Duarte, a LULAC chaplain, said she met Huerta and described her as humble and soft-spoken, with a strong message.
Seven months before her death, Huerta publicly said Chávez manipulated and pressured her into sex in the 1960s, including encounters against her will. Those claims came during a New York Times investigation, which also reported claims that Chávez sexually assaulted girls. Duarte said Huerta's decision to keep working alongside Chávez showed the sacrifices she made for the farmworker movement.