Hollywood actress Salma Hayek recently paid tribute to the late American labor leader and civil rights activist, Dolores Huerta. Hayek shared two videos and a picture with Huerta on her Instagram, alongside a heartfelt note.
Dolores Huerta, a pioneering figure in the fight for agricultural workers’ rights, passed away on October 28, 2026, at the age of 96. Hayek recalled her first meeting with Huerta, writing, “Six years ago I asked God to let us keep the gift of you for another century. We got 96 years of you fighting for us, for justice, for equality, for dignity. Our legendary civil rights leader, the angel for undocumented and Latin American workers in the United States.” She added, “I will never forget the day I met you. The best way I know to honor you is to keep doing what you taught us.”
Born in Dawson, New Mexico, and raised in Stockton, California, Huerta witnessed firsthand the struggles of working-class families. After a brief stint as a schoolteacher, she dedicated herself to community organizing. In 1962, she co-founded the National Farm Workers Association with Cesar Chavez, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW).
Huerta was instrumental in the 1965 Delano grape strike and subsequent nationwide grape boycotts, which significantly improved wages and working conditions for farmworkers. She popularized the iconic rallying cry “Si, se puede” (Yes, we can). A staunch advocate for women’s rights, immigrant rights, and social justice, Huerta was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 for her lifelong dedication to human rights.