Albuquerque, New Mexico — It was Dolores Huerta Who coined the slogan “Si, se puede” in 1972 when he gathered farmworkers in Arizona to fight the law prohibiting boycotts and strikes.
When I told her it would be impossible to organize in the southwestern state, her three-word response in Spanish — which translates to “Yes, it can be done” — was simple, defiant and symbolic. Huerta’s determination cemented her place in history as one of the country’s most influential labor leaders, civil rights icons and feminist activists.
Former President Barack Obama later credited her with the phrase that served as his 2008 campaign rallying cry in a slightly modified translation, “Yes, we can.”
As co-founder of what eventually became the United Farm Workers union, Huerta was the face of a movement that for decades aimed to empower workers’ lives through increased wages, health benefits, pensions and improved safety.
At nearly 96 years old, she still uses her platform to advocate for marginalized groups and fight discrimination.
So Shocked the world Wednesday when Huerta revealed she had been sexually assaulted before Movement co-founder Cesar ChavezThis resulted in the birth of two children, a secret she kept for 60 years.
Now some are calling for Huerta’s name to be replaced Chavez on a large number of government buildingsSchools, monuments and streets bear his name throughout the country.
Details of Huerta’s life and rise to political activism have been recounted repeatedly over the decades through interviews and documentaries, during award ceremonies and on historical markers honoring her.
Dolores Clara Fernandez was born in 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico. Her father was a miner, union activist, and state legislator. After her parents divorced, her mother took Huerta and her two brothers to California.
The farm-rich San Joaquin Valley, where Huerta grew up, was a melting pot of Mexican, Filipino, African American, Japanese and Chinese working families. Her mother encouraged cultural diversity, while her independence, initiative, and activism helped shape Huerta’s own aspirations.
Huerta was a young, energetic elementary school teacher when she decided to answer a calling that would set her on an incredible path. Frustrated by the poor living conditions of her students, she believed she could do more by organizing farm workers rather than trying to educate their starving children.
She met Chavez in the 1950s during her early work with a Latino civil rights group in Stockton, South Sacramento. Wanting to focus more on the plight of farmworkers, in 1962 they created the National Farmworkers Association, which later became the United Farmworkers a few years later. She was a leader and key negotiator for the union.
Chavez, who died in 1993, once described her as brave, acknowledging her commitment to the cause and her toughness when it came to negotiations.
Huerta reaffirmed that commitment in a statement issued Wednesday, saying she had not told anyone about Chavez’s abuse for decades in order to protect the movement to which she had dedicated her life.
“I have channeled everything I have into defending millions of farmworkers and others who are suffering and deserve equal rights,” she said.
Huerta was never afraid of confrontation with lobbyists or farmers. Not afraid of law enforcement, she was imprisoned more than 20 times for demonstrating, and was seriously injured while protesting in 1988.
After a long recovery, Huerta shifted her focus and began campaigning for women’s rights and encouraging Latinas to run for office.
She continues to march and speak in cities across the country on issues of race, poverty and women on behalf of the California-based Dolores Huerta Foundation. She campaigned for Democratic presidents Bill Clinton, Obama and Joe Biden, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he considered her a close friend.
Huerta’s work over decades has earned her a number of honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. When Obama presented the award in 2012, he praised her as a tenacious leader and joked that he had stolen her campaign slogan.
Huerta also has a place in the National Women’s Hall of Fame, where she was the first Latina to be inducted, and has received nine honorary doctorates from American universities.
Schools have been named in her honor in California, Texas, and Colorado. Her image adorns many murals, and there are also Dolores Huerta’s streets – including a street in Albuquerque where part of it is named after her and part after Chavez.
People on social media are already calling for the entire road to be named after Huerta, with members of Congress and state officials praising her and other women for their progress. They say that no one should suffer in silence to protect a man or a movement.
“I cannot imagine the pain and suffering they have endured over the decades,” said U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat from New Mexico. “Thank you for showing us what true power is.”