Dolores Huerta, a labor and civil rights leader, has died. California Attorney General Rob Bonta acknowledged her passing with a statement recalling her as a mentor and defining force in American activism.
Huerta was closely associated with the United Farmworkers of America and played a central role in the farmworkers movement. "She helped shape the history of the farmworkers' movement and changed the face of the labor movement forever," Bonta said. Bonta, who grew up in the farmworkers movement, credited Huerta with shaping his own path to public office and described her as "a constant, firm, irresistible force for justice and needed change."
Huerta's rallying cry was "Sà Se Puede"—Yes We Can—which Bonta said "perfectly encapsulated who she was—a woman full of fight and right who knew that if we worked together, there was nothing we couldn't achieve." He concluded his statement saying, "She defined what it meant to own our power, use our voice, and ensure the people always remain the most potent force in our American democracy."