Dolores Huerta, a co-founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW), serves as the president and founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation (DHF). Her illustrious career as an activist and community organizer spans over half a century, beginning with her establishment of the United Farm Workers union alongside Cesar Chavez in 1962. Huerta held the position of vice-president in the union for four decades, playing a pivotal role in the union's numerous achievements.
In 2002, Huerta was the recipient of the Puffin/Nation $100,000 Prize for Creative Citizenship, which she utilized to create the Dolores Huerta Foundation. The DHF operates on multiple levels, connecting community-based organizing to state and national movements. Its focus areas include voter registration and education, advocacy for education reform, infrastructure improvements in low-income communities, greater equality for the LGBT community, and robust leadership development. Moreover, the foundation has initiated various campaigns, such as revising property tax loopholes and educating voters on federal issues. It also acted as a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Kern High School District to address discriminatory disciplinary actions against African-American and Latino students.
Born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, a mining town in the mountains of New Mexico, Huerta's activism was influenced early on by her parents. Her father, Juan Fernández, a farm worker and miner, actively participated in union activities and won a seat in the New Mexico legislature in 1938. After their parents' divorce, Huerta and her two brothers relocated to Stockton, California with their mother, Alicia Chavez, an independent businesswoman who owned and operated a 70-room hotel.
Aside from her professional life, Huerta is a mother to 11 children, most of whom have dedicated their lives to public service. She was married twice and had a long-term relationship with Richard Chavez, Cesar's brother. Huerta also has numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Huerta's significant contributions to civil rights and social justice have drawn numerous accolades. She is a two-time recipient of US Presidential Awards; notably, President Obama awarded her the Medal of Freedom in 2012, the highest civilian award in the United States. Prior to this, in 1998, President Clinton presented her with the Eleanor D. Roosevelt Human Rights Award. Other awards in her honor include Mexico's Order of the Aztec Eagle Award, the highest decoration awarded by the Mexican Government to foreign nationals, and the James Smithson Award from the Smithsonian Institution. She became the first Latina inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993. Huerta is also a former UC Regent and has received about 15 honorary doctorates from universities across the United States, including an Honorary Doctor of Laws by Yale University in 2021 and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Southern California in 2023.
Huerta's life and accomplishments have been the subject of various media portrayals, including Rosario Dawson's portrayal of her in the film "César Chávez" (2014), and the focus of the 2017 documentary "Dolores." Her advocacy work continues to this day, focusing on issues like reproductive rights, the inclusion of women of color in feminist movements, and education reform. She has been a keynote speaker at numerous universities and public events, including the 10th Annual César Chávez Convocation at the University of California Santa Cruz in 2013. Recognizing her significant contributions, the state of California inaugurated "Dolores Huerta Day" on April 10th. In tribute to her enduring legacy, an asteroid has been named in her honor, 6849 Doloreshuerta, recognized by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Dolores Huerta and other top speakers and celebrities.