The children of civil rights icon Dolores Huerta are speaking publicly for the first time since her death from cancer at age 96, reflecting on their mother’s legacy and sharing how the community can honor her life during commemorative events next week.
As the family continues to mourn her loss, Huerta’s children are remembering not only the labor leader who dedicated decades to fighting for equality but also the mother who inspired them through her courage and determination.
“We’re grateful that we had the time that we did with her,” said Camila Chavez, Huerta’s daughter.
Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW), one of the nation’s most influential farm labor organizations, and spent more than 70 years advocating for workers’ rights.
Her activism extended beyond the labor movement. She was also a champion for women’s rights, the LGBTQ community and voting rights, leaving behind a legacy of advocacy that spanned generations.
“Her accomplishments span over decades, from having the first farmworker contracts in this country that were guaranteeing farmworkers in the field restrooms, water breaks. She was able to pass the very first law saying that voters had the right in California to have a bilingual voter registration form and to vote in their native language,” Camila said.
Among the milestones her family remembers is Huerta’s work in Washington, D.C., in 1986, when she spent at least three months advocating for an immigration amnesty bill that helped more than half a million farmworkers obtain legal status.
Her contributions earned her national recognition. California established April 10 as Dolores Huerta Day, and in 2012, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors.
But behind her decades of activism was also a mother raising a large family while balancing the demands of her work.
Huerta’s legacy extends far beyond the grape fields of the 1960s, where she rose to prominence alongside Cesar Chavez.
“When she did have family time, downtime, it was really making the best of the time that we had together,” Chavez said.
Her daughters recalled that Huerta’s passions extended beyond politics and activism, with music, theater and the arts playing an important role in her life.
Filmmaker Gregory Nava said it was “powerful and moving” to be with the civil rights icon on her last day with her family. Keenan Willard and Amber Frias report for the NBC4 News 5 and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.
“Music, art, theater, all of that was part of her life just as well as the politics and civics were very important in her life,” said Huerta’s daughter Alicia.
Huerta’s life was also marked by painful experiences that she publicly addressed earlier this year.
In March, she revealed allegations that sent shock waves through the labor movement, accusing fellow UFW co-founder Cesar Chavez of sexually assaulting her twice, resulting in the births of two children.
Her daughters said their mother’s decision to speak publicly about those experiences reflected the same courage that defined her decades of advocacy.
“My mother was a person with a lot of courage, and that’s just another act of her courage. and her legacy for all the work that she has done and shared with others,” Alicia said.
According to her family, Huerta remained committed to her activism until the final months of her life.
“I was my mother’s caregiver in her last days and I can tell you that I admired her courage. She was very courageous to the end,” Alicia said.
Alicia also shared some of her mother’s final words, which she said reflected the values Huerta had championed throughout her life.
“She kept telling me how important grace was, that everyone should have grace, to give back. and i think she was really happy with her life. That we should always push back against discrimination. Those were my mother’s, in her last days, those were her words.
Since Huerta’s death, her family said an outpouring of support has come from elected officials, celebrities, friends and neighbors, reflecting the impact she had on communities across the country.
“It continues, everyday. we’re receiving messages, flowers, condolences. and so that is just a testament of how many people she touched,” Camila said.
As tributes continue, California is preparing to honor Huerta with a series of public memorial events.
On Nov. 16, Huerta will lie in state at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, allowing members of the public to pay their respects.
Her memorial observances will then move to Bakersfield, where a rosary will be held Thursday, Nov. 19, followed by an interfaith service Nov. 20.
Her family hopes the gatherings will give those whose lives she touched an opportunity to say goodbye.
“This is very personal to many. it’s not just this superhero, that she was, but it’s a personal friend and if you have lost a personal friend, you want to pay your respects,” Alicia said.
“We are just so honored that the community at large, the nation, is also grieving with us”, Camila said. “She just had this mission. She just knew that she could make a difference and she had to do the work.
While the family prepares to honor Huerta’s life, her children say her work will continue through the Dolores Huerta Foundation, which will carry forward her commitment to advocacy and social justice.