Stanislaus State joins the Central Valley and communities across the country in mourning the passing of Dolores Huerta, a groundbreaking labor organizer, civil rights leader and unwavering advocate for social justice. Huerta died Wednesday, Oct. 28, at age 96.
Raised in Stockton, Huerta dedicated her life to improving conditions for farmworkers, advancing civil rights and empowering underserved communities. As a co-founder of the United Farm Workers, she helped bring national attention to the struggles of agricultural workers and their families, leaving a lasting impact on California's Central Valley and communities across the country.
Huerta shared her message of empowerment and opportunity with Stanislaus State graduates during the University’s 2019 Commencement ceremonies. She praised the diversity of the San Joaquin Valley and the California State University system’s role as a catalyst for change.
“And I was so happy to hear that you are all Warriors,” Huerta told graduates. “Because as an organizer, my job is to try to turn people into warriors for justice, and here you already are.”
During her address, Huerta challenged graduates to apply their education beyond the classroom and take an active role in improving their communities.
“I know you have been so academically prepared, but I’m going to now ask you to be civically prepared,” she told graduates.
Her message reflected a lesson she carried throughout her work organizing farmworkers: Meaningful change begins with people themselves.
“The one thing we had to convince the workers is that they had the power to make changes, that they didn't have to wait for somebody to come from outside and do it for them,” she said.
Huerta’s connection to Stanislaus State continued in April 2022 when she participated in the Women’s Campus Connection virtual speaker series, “Women, Labor and Climate/Environmental Justice.” The event reflected her decades of advocacy for women’s rights, labor rights and environmental justice.
A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, Huerta established the Dolores Huerta Foundation in 2002 to advance grassroots organizing and develop community leaders. Her rallying cry, “Sí, se puede,” became an enduring expression of collective action and the pursuit of change.
Stanislaus State extends its heartfelt condolences to Huerta’s family, friends and all those whose lives were touched by her leadership.
As she concluded her 2019 Commencement address, Huerta left Warrior graduates with a reminder of their ability to make an impact: “Remember this: you have power.”
She then led them in a call-and-response that echoed her decades of grassroots organizing:
“Who’s got the power?”
“We’ve got the power!”
“What kind of power?”
“People power!”