Dolores Huerta, an indomitable force for social justice and labor rights, stands as a beacon of empowerment and resilience in the annals of American history. As a pioneering activist, she fearlessly championed the rights of farmworkers, women, and marginalized communities, leaving an indelible mark on the fabric of our society. Her unwavering dedication to the principles of equality, fairness, and dignity has inspired generations to stand up and fight for what is just.
Born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, New Mexico, Dolores Huerta’s journey towards activism was catalyzed by her experiences witnessing the injustices faced by farmworkers and their families. Co-founding the United Farm Workers (UFW) alongside Cesar Chavez, she played a pivotal role in organizing strikes, boycotts, and grassroots movements to demand better wages, working conditions, and rights for agricultural laborers. Huerta’s unyielding resolve and strategic acumen propelled her to the forefront of the labor rights movement, earning her numerous accolades and cementing her status as an icon of social change. As we delve into the profound wisdom encapsulated in Dolores Huerta’s quotes, we are invited to glean insights from her lifetime of activism and advocacy, igniting the flames of compassion and justice within our own hearts.
I always thought it was wrong for me to take credit for the work that I did. I don’t think that anymore. Dolores Huerta
My mother never made me do anything for my brothers, like serve them. I think that’s an important lesson, especially for the Latino culture, because the women are expected to be the ones that serve and cook and whatever. Not in our family. Everybody was equal. Dolores Huerta
Let’s teach kids, at the kindergarten level, what the contributions of people of color were to building the United States of America. Dolores Huerta
Racism and sexism, misogyny and homophobia, they’re so visible. They’re out in the open. When they’re visible, it’s a lot easier to deal with them. Dolores Huerta
If you haven’t forgiven yourself something, how can you forgive others. Dolores Huerta
It was really hard for them to intimidate me. They felt I was intimidating. One of the growers had a name for me: I think it was ‘dragon lady’ or something like it. Dolores Huerta
I remember as a little girl going down to the beet fields in the Dakotas and in Nebraska and Wyoming as migrant workers when I was very, very small, like, I was, like, 5 years old, I believe. And I remember going out there, you know, traveling to these states and living in these little tarpaper shacks that they had in Wyoming. Dolores Huerta
Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world. Dolores Huerta
People were asleep, but I think they’re waking up now. Trump has given everybody a good kick, and people are waking up and realizing they’ve got to get involved. Dolores Huerta
We do need women in civic life. We do need women to run for office, to be in political office. We need a feminist to be at the table when decisions are being made so that the right decisions will be made. Dolores Huerta
My mother was a dominant force in our family. And I always saw her as the leader. And that was great for me as a young woman, because I never saw that women had to be dominated by men. Dolores Huerta
When you have a conflict, that means that there are truths that have to be addressed on each side of the conflict. And when you have a conflict, then it’s an educational process to try to resolve the conflict. And to resolve that, you have to get people on both sides of the conflict involved so that they can dialogue. Dolores Huerta
I always saw my role as getting LGBT to support the immigrant rights movement – which they did – and getting Latino organizations to support the women’s movement, for reproductive rights. So that’s kind of the work that I’ve always been doing. Dolores Huerta
We had violence directed at us by the growers themselves, trying to run us down by cars, pointing rifles at us, spraying the people when they were on the picket line with sulfur. Dolores Huerta
I started really noticing, more and more, how men will plagiarize and take credit for women’s work… I’ve noticed that it just happens a lot. Dolores Huerta
When you are organizing a group of people, the first thing that we do is we talk about the history of what other people have been able to accomplish – people that look like them, workers like them, ordinary people, working people – and we give them the list: these are people like yourself; this is what they were able to do in their community. Dolores Huerta
I think that’s something that all mothers have to deal with, especially single mothers. We work, and we have to leave the kids behind. And I think that’s one of the reasons that we, not only as women but as families, we have to advocate for early childhood education for all of our children. Dolores Huerta
The conditions were terrible. The farmworkers were only earning about 70 cents an hour at that time – 90 cents was the highest wage that they were earning. They didn’t have toilets in the fields; they didn’t have cold drinking water. They didn’t have rest periods. People worked from sunup to sundown. It was really atrocious. Dolores Huerta
I wish I could say to all those people who consider themselves anarchists or radicals: Please join the nonviolent movement. This is how Gandhi freed India. If Gandhi freed India, we can certainly free the United States from our racism, misogyny, and bigotry. Dolores Huerta
My mother was a very wonderful woman. When she and my dad divorced, she moved to California and worked two jobs in the cannery at night and as a waitress during the day. But she saved enough money to establish a restaurant. Dolores Huerta
The leaders come up from the volunteers that do the work, and it’s amazing because then they do these incredible things in their community that they never thought they had the power to make that happen. Dolores Huerta
I think organized labor is a necessary part of democracy. Organized labor is the only way to have fair distribution of wealth. Dolores Huerta
My dad was very intelligent, had a very strong personality. I was amazed with my father. Dolores Huerta
Professional farmworkers who know how to do a number of different jobs, whether it be pruning or picking or crafting, they see themselves as professionals, and they take a lot of pride in that work. They don’t see themselves as doing work that is demeaning. Dolores Huerta
If people don’t vote, everything stays the same. You can protest until the sky turns yellow or the moon turns blue, and it’s not going to change anything if you don’t vote. Dolores Huerta
My son Emilio is running for Congress to continue the fight for social justice. Dolores Huerta