People For the American Way President Svante Myrick released the following statement about civil rights icon and longtime People For the American Way board member Dolores Huerta, who passed away on October 28 at the age of 96.
This is a moment of great sadness and loss for the country and for People For the American Way. Dolores Huerta was one of the fiercest and most consequential activists in our nation’s history. People For the American Way is fortunate that she brought her powerful voice, organizing expertise, legendary boundless energy, and joyful fighting spirit to our board of directors for the past 22 years.
Dolores was unstoppable. She recorded ads, loved working the press in English or Spanish on the ground in states across the country, and knocked on doors to turn out Latino voters. She was the first to get started in the morning and the last to quit at the end of the day. She educated communities about the importance of the courts and the threats that far-right political movements pose to women, workers, immigrants, LGBTQ people, and anyone who is pushed aside or left out.
Dolores always connected the dots. She was a big supporter of People For the American Way’s Right Wing Watch project and the way it exposes the interconnected agendas of the movements and politicians working to undermine equality and justice for all.
The board, staff, and members of People For the American Way honor Dolores Huerta’s lifelong advocacy for dignity and fair treatment for farmworkers and her tireless commitment to nurturing new generations of activists.
We celebrate her example of joyful and determined activism, reflected in the words that have inspired countless activists to believe that they can make a difference: ¡Sí se puede!
People For the American Way President Emeritus Michael Keegan praised Huerta’s willingness to be anywhere that she could make a difference. “Dolores was never a ‘no,’ she was always a ‘yes’ when she saw a chance to win an election and advance the cause of justice,” he said.
Dolores Huerta is featured in People For the American Way’s Art of Saving Democracy action kit with a quote that captures her can-do spirit: “Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world.”
Among her many honors, she received People For the American Way’s highest honor, the Spirit of Liberty Award, and the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Young Elected Officials Network, a project of the affiliated nonpartisan People For the American Way Foundation, runs the Barbara Jordan - Dolores Huerta Women’s Leadership Program, which offers annual fellowships to young women elected officials.
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About People For the American Way:
People For the American Way is a national progressive advocacy organization that inspires and mobilizes Americans to defend freedom, justice, and democracy from those who threaten to take them away. For more than four decades, we have been dedicated to making the promise of American ideals real for everyone and have worked toward a vision of a vibrant America where basic rights and freedoms are upheld for all, not just the wealthy and the powerful. Learn more at peoplefor.org.
