The Leadership Conference Statement on the Passing of Civil Rights Icon Dolores Huerta

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2026
Contact: [email protected]

Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement:

“Dolores Huerta lived one of the most impactful lives of any leader I have had the honor to meet. She was a beacon of hope for civil rights in this country, and a leader who demonstrated that women lead, that oppressed people lead, and that labor rights are civil rights. She will be deeply missed and forever celebrated and emulated. As one of the founders of the United Farm Workers, she helped guide the fight for workers’ rights since the 1960s, organizing boycotts and strikes to better people’s lives. She fought tirelessly her entire life for women’s rights, workers’ rights, and immigrants’ rights to make this country keep its promises of equality, justice, and fairness for all. We were deeply honored when she accepted our Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights award in 1997 for her exceptional, lifetime dedication to civil rights.

“Huerta’s legacy of bravery and speaking out for what is right also extended to calling out the horrible attacks that she and others in the movement endured. Earlier this year, she shared that she was a survivor of sexual abuse inside the same movement she helped to lead. Our communities cannot achieve our goals while harming and silencing our people, especially women. Our country is better because of her work, and we will continue her legacy.

“We will forever be grateful for her courage.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org

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