Dolores Huerta, a civil rights leader, champion for women’s rights and internationally recognized social justice advocate, died Oct. 28 at 96.

Huerta grew up in south Stockton and attended Delta College in the 1950s, then part of University of the Pacific, where she earned her teaching credential. 

In a 2021 event with Pacific’s Alumni Association, she shared the tremendous impact Pacific had on her trajectory as an activist and organizer.

The transformative work she dedicated her life to made an impact on her students and beyond. Following her departure from teaching, she established the Agricultural Workers Association and co-founded the National Farm Workers Association that later became the United Farm Workers of America.

“Dolores Huerta’s passing is a profound loss for Stockton and our nation,” said Pacific President Christopher Callahan. “Her courage, compassion and lifelong fight for justice inspired generations, and we are deeply proud that Pacific was part of her journey. Her legacy will endure in the countless lives she touched and in all those she inspired to carry her work forward.”

In 2003, she established the Dolores Huerta Foundation, which empowers marginalized communities. Among her many accolades, Huerta received an honorary degree from Pacific in 2010. In 2012, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

“Dolores Huerta was one of the greatest social justice leaders in American history and was also a personal mentor whose example shaped my own commitment to equity and justice in higher education,” said Mary Lomax-Ghirarduzzi ’89, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. “She taught us that solidarity is not simply a principle yet a practice—that we always go further together.

“What distinguished Dolores was her unwavering dedication to the dignity of marginalized people from every background and her lifelong investment in mentoring the next generation of leaders.”

Huerta returned to the Central Valley to speak on many occasions. In her most recent visit to Pacific in 2022, she spoke at a Latino Heritage Month keynote event, where she encouraged students to get engaged, especially through the voting process.

“We want to empower students and make them understand that they are fighting, not only for their own future, but for the future of our democracy in the United States of America,” Huerta told the crowd.

Her national impact in social justice began more than a half century ago, and the continued impact of the resulting societal shifts will continue to serve as foundations for change for years to come.

Through it all, Huerta shared what drives her in her 2021 conversation with Pacific alumni.

“I just want to organize as many people as I can so we can bring justice to our world,” Huerta said. “I know we can do that. We can create a just society. We can make it happen. Sí se puede.”