TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America and a decades-long advocate for labor rights and marginalized communities, died Wednesday, Oct. 28th at 96.
Community members, elected officials and those who knew her personally gathered in Tucson for a vigil to honor her life and reflect on the impact she left behind.
Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), and her work through the 1960s helped reshape labor conditions for farmworkers across the country.
Through boycotts and strikes that drew national attention, she drove improvements to worker rights for agricultural communities that endured for generations.
She is credited with coining the rallying cry "Sí Se Puede" — Spanish for "Yes We Can" — a phrase that became central to labor and civil rights movements in the decades that followed.
KGUN 9 attended the vigil, where Tucson leaders and community members shared their memories of a woman many knew personally.
Among those gathered was Ruben Reyes, whose parents were organizers in the United Farm Workers movement and who had known Huerta since childhood.
He said Huerta had a personal and lasting connection to Tucson.
"She liked coming here to Tucson a lot, staying at our home and coming back and organizing all the time," Reyes said. "She and I became really good friends throughout the years," Reyes said.
When Reyes heard the news of Huerta's passing, he moved quickly to bring the community together.
"People were going to come willingly. We knew that people needed a place to go honor her." Reyes said.
Raul Aguirre joined the movement alongside Huerta as a teenager in the 1960s. He said her legacy would not fade.
"Dolores will never really be gone, she has left a legacy that will last forever with us, here in this town, and across America," Aguirre said.
Huerta returned to public attention earlier this year after coming forward with allegations of sexual assault against fellow civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.
Before her death, Huerta said that, despite what she described as abuse, she chose to continue the work of the farmworkers movement to protect others from neglect and mistreatment.
Community member Isabel Garcia reflected on what Huerta's decision to speak out meant for women.
"That's what Dolores showed us in the end, that all of us women really do matter," Garcia said.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero spoke at the vigil about what Huerta's organizing had meant for her own family.
"She was a mentor, she was a friend, and she did so much to change my family's life," Romero said. "It was because of her that my parents had better working conditions."
Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva said Huerta left behind lessons she carries forward.
"I learned a lot from Dolores, and one of the legacies that I take with me is that you have to speak up for those who don't have a voice," Grijalva said. "You have to continue to move forward even when it's hard."
As the vigil drew to a close, the crowd returned to the chant that Huerta used to lead the community and inspire change...
Sí Se Puede.
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JJ McKinney joined KGUN 9 in July of 2025 as a multimedia journalist. He graduated from Colorado State University in May of 2025 with a degree in journalism and media communications and a minor in law. With a background in investigative reporting and documentary filmmaking, JJ is dedicated to giving a platform to the voices of his community. Share your story ideas and important issues with JJ by emailing jj.mckinney@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
