In Memoriam: Dolores Huerta (1930-2026)

The Walter P. Reuther Library was saddened to hear of the passing of activist and United Farm Workers co-founder, Dolores Huerta. Huerta passed away on October 28, 2026, at the age of 96.

Huerta's parents were union members, and they fostered a socially active mindset in their daughter. As an adult, she became involved in several union organizations, and, most notably, co-founded the Agricultural Workers Association and the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW). In her leadership role with the UFW, Huerta was instrumental in organizing the Delano grape strike and negotiating contracts with several companies leading to higher wages, improved safety, and better health benefits for workers.

Huerta is also remembered as a champion for the rights of women, immigrants, and other marginalized groups. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 and was the first Latina inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. Huerta served as an honorary co-chair of the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, D.C. In 2002, Huerta created the Dolores Huerta Foundation whose mission “advocates for social justice, focusing on empowering marginalized communities through grassroots organizing, civic engagement, and education initiatives.” We know Huerta’s legacy will continue through the work of the Foundation and the countless individuals she has inspired over the years.

The Walter P. Reuther Library is honored to preserve a part of this extraordinary legacy through several collections, including the Dolores Huerta Papers, the UFW Central Administration Records, and the United Farm Workers Image Gallery.

We extend our deepest sympathies to Dolores Huerta's family and friends. Rest in Power, Dolores.