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Sexual abuse allegations surrounding farmworker activist Cesar Chavez have surfaced and led fellow labor activist and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta to speak out.Huerta described two sexual encounters with Chavez, one in which she was “manipulated and pressured” and another when she was “forced against my will.” Huerta said she remained silent until now because she believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement.”I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for,” Huerta said in a statement.”The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss, and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to,” Huerta said. “The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.”After those two encounters with Chavez, Huerta said she became pregnant and chose to keep those children secret and arranged for them to be raised by other families. Huerta said she has maintained a deep relationship with those two children, who became close with her other children.The United Farm Workers (UFW) was founded in 1962 by Huerta and Chavez. Huerta served as vice president. The union pushed grape producers to improve working conditions for migrant workers in the late 1960s.Huerta’s efforts led to the passage in 1975 of the Agricultural Labor Relations Act, the first law to recognize the rights of California farmworkers.According to her website, she also challenged gender discrimination within the farmworkers’ movement. In 1988, she was severely beaten by a police officer during a peaceful protest for farmworkers in San Francisco. Huerta suffered life-threatening injuries, including a ruptured spleen and several broken ribs.After recovering, she took a leave of absence from the UFW in 1999 to focus on women’s issues and spent two years traveling the country for the Feminist Majority’s “Feminization of Power: 50/50 by the year 2000” campaign.The campaign encouraged Latinas to run for office and popularized her iconic phrase, “Sí, se puede,” which translates to “It can be done” or “Yes we can.” The phrase is commonly used by activists around the world.In 2002, she received the Puffin/Nation $100,000 Prize for Creative Citizenship, which she used to establish the Dolores Huerta Foundation.The foundation offers five programs that advocate for progressive policies and increased civic engagement.Huerta has remained an outspoken advocate for farmworkers. She also supports the rights of immigrants, women, minorities, at-risk youth and LGBT Americans.Huerta said that if she could go back in time and change one thing, she would have “spoken out more” in a 2018 interview with Kansas City PBS. She said that because it is hard for women to stand up for themselves, especially when it comes to assault. “We never want to look at our male friends or siblings as enemies, or people that can hurt us,” Huerta said. “And can ruin our lives basically, and because we as women are not prepared for that, but I think we need to be prepared for that.”Huerta said her mother’s independence and entrepreneurial spirit are two reasons she became a feminist.Huerta was born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, New Mexico. Her parents divorced when she was 3, and her mother moved the family to Stockton, California, when Huerta was about 6.Her mother opened a 70-room hotel where she often helped people who needed shelter. Huerta also stayed in touch with her father, who was a coal miner and migrant worker. He later became a union activist and an elected representative in New Mexico.In the 1950s, Huerta became a teacher and taught elementary school children. Seeing her students come to school hungry helped drive her to begin her activism and fight for economic justice.To this day, she travels across the country to speak to students and organizations about issues of social justice and public policy. One of Huerta’s missions is to inspire action and community engagement, beginning with the youth.There are six schools in California named after Huerta, while nearly 20 are named after Chavez. In 2012, former President Obama awarded Huerta the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her lifetime advocacy on behalf of the underserved.Huerta has strongly supported dozens of organizations and Democratic political campaigns. In 2022, April 10 was officially declared as Dolores Huerta Day in California. The proclamation urged Californians to take on Huerta’s strive to “change lives for the better in our communities.”Huerta is one of the most respected civil rights leaders in the country and continues to be a role model in the Latino community.
Sexual abuse allegations surrounding farmworker activist Cesar Chavez have surfaced and led fellow labor activist and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta to speak out.
Huerta described two sexual encounters with Chavez, one in which she was “manipulated and pressured” and another when she was “forced against my will.”
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Huerta said she remained silent until now because she believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement.
“I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for,” Huerta said in a statement.
“The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss, and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to,” Huerta said. “The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.”
After those two encounters with Chavez, Huerta said she became pregnant and chose to keep those children secret and arranged for them to be raised by other families. Huerta said she has maintained a deep relationship with those two children, who became close with her other children.
The United Farm Workers (UFW) was founded in 1962 by Huerta and Chavez. Huerta served as vice president. The union pushed grape producers to improve working conditions for migrant workers in the late 1960s.
Huerta’s efforts led to the passage in 1975 of the Agricultural Labor Relations Act, the first law to recognize the rights of California farmworkers.
According to her website, she also challenged gender discrimination within the farmworkers’ movement.
In 1988, she was severely beaten by a police officer during a peaceful protest for farmworkers in San Francisco. Huerta suffered life-threatening injuries, including a ruptured spleen and several broken ribs.
After recovering, she took a leave of absence from the UFW in 1999 to focus on women’s issues and spent two years traveling the country for the Feminist Majority’s “Feminization of Power: 50/50 by the year 2000” campaign.
The campaign encouraged Latinas to run for office and popularized her iconic phrase, “Sí, se puede,” which translates to “It can be done” or “Yes we can.” The phrase is commonly used by activists around the world.
In 2002, she received the Puffin/Nation $100,000 Prize for Creative Citizenship, which she used to establish the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
The foundation offers five programs that advocate for progressive policies and increased civic engagement.
Huerta has remained an outspoken advocate for farmworkers. She also supports the rights of immigrants, women, minorities, at-risk youth and LGBT Americans.
Huerta said that if she could go back in time and change one thing, she would have “spoken out more” in a 2018 interview with Kansas City PBS. She said that because it is hard for women to stand up for themselves, especially when it comes to assault.
“We never want to look at our male friends or siblings as enemies, or people that can hurt us,” Huerta said. “And can ruin our lives basically, and because we as women are not prepared for that, but I think we need to be prepared for that.”
Huerta said her mother’s independence and entrepreneurial spirit are two reasons she became a feminist.
Huerta was born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, New Mexico. Her parents divorced when she was 3, and her mother moved the family to Stockton, California, when Huerta was about 6.
Her mother opened a 70-room hotel where she often helped people who needed shelter. Huerta also stayed in touch with her father, who was a coal miner and migrant worker. He later became a union activist and an elected representative in New Mexico.
In the 1950s, Huerta became a teacher and taught elementary school children. Seeing her students come to school hungry helped drive her to begin her activism and fight for economic justice.
To this day, she travels across the country to speak to students and organizations about issues of social justice and public policy. One of Huerta’s missions is to inspire action and community engagement, beginning with the youth.
There are six schools in California named after Huerta, while nearly 20 are named after Chavez.
In 2012, former President Obama awarded Huerta the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her lifetime advocacy on behalf of the underserved.
Huerta has strongly supported dozens of organizations and Democratic political campaigns.
In 2022, April 10 was officially declared as Dolores Huerta Day in California. The proclamation urged Californians to take on Huerta’s strive to “change lives for the better in our communities.”
Huerta is one of the most respected civil rights leaders in the country and continues to be a role model in the Latino community.
