At the forefront of the labor movement in California, Dolores Huerta aimed to organize farm workers and fight for better working conditions. To accomplish this, she founded the Agricultural Workers Association (AWA) and ultimately became the vice president of the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC), working alongside Cesar Chavez. Some of her most notable work took place during the Delano Grape Strike, during one notable march, Huerta stated, “The workers are on the rise. There will be strikes all over the state and throughout the country because Delano has shown what can be done, and the workers know they are no longer alone.”
Though not nearly as well known as Chavez, even inaccurately portrayed solely as his assistant, Huerta’s leadership was influential in the California labor movement during the mid-20th century. Perhaps most notably, she is credited with coining the now iconic slogan of the movement, “Sí Se Puede.” Huerta’s leadership in the struggle for workers’ rights also allowed her to challenge gender discrimination within the movement, and today she continues to fight for workers, women, and children everywhere.
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