Today, Arizona educators mourn the passing of labor and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta. Huerta was the co-founder of United Farm Workers (UFW), originator of the enduring rallying cry, ‘¡Sí, se puede!’, and a trailblazing Chicana leader. However, before marking her legacy in the history books Dolores was one of us, an educator, teaching the children of farmworkers.
As an educator, Dolores saw the impact of systemic inequality on her students. Unable to stand seeing children come to her classroom hungry, Huerta realized she had the power to have a bigger impact on families in her community. She took her passion from the classroom to the fields to organize her students’ parents for fair wages, safe conditions, and basic human dignity. Dolores taught us that fighting for our students means standing up for social and economic justice in our communities.
“The work of Dolores Huerta has changed countless lives and will live on for generations,” said AEA President Marisol Garcia. “Her legacy reminds us that with hard work, things can change.”
The greatest tribute we can pay to Dolores Huerta is to carry forward her relentless pursuit of justice. Her courage and spirit endure and guide our collective fight for a world with equality and dignity for everyone.