In 2026, the fight continues. As I contemplated writing about women in the workforce and the evolution
of the spaces they fought to be a part of, a friend mentioned I could speak about women and the labor
movement. The first person I thought of was actually Dolores Huerta, an American union leader and civil
rights activist that co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) union. Have you ever heard the slogan,
“¡Sí, se puede!” (Yes, it is possible!)? These are her words.
If you’ve seen her name in the news cycles this past month, it’s not due to her legacy as a union leader,
a feminist, and civil rights activist that gave a voice to many workers in the United States. It is due to her
decision at 95 years old to join the voices of two women that have come forward to state that they were
sexually abused for years as young girls at the hands of UFW co-founder, Cesar Chavez; a prominent
figure in the Latino and workers’ rights movements. She too, claims to have been sexually assaulted by
Chavez, and that she stayed silent for years. She mentions, she did not trust the police would help and
did not want to damage the cause that she fought alongside Chavez for. Silence is a language that many
women and girls know well. Even when reaching out to someone for help, the conversation can all too
often turn to one of protecting your attacker for the sake of preserving the status quo. Whether that’s
within a family group or a massive movement, women are still made to carry their attacker’s influence
along with their physical and emotional scars.
This Women’s History Month, I wish to highlight the strength that women have. All of us. Especially
those who are survivors of gender-based violence. Because it takes strength to carry the load put on our
backs by our society. It takes strength to carry the responsibility of protecting an imagined society with
your silence. Just as it takes strength to speak out and hold that mirror up to society. Survival in this
space looks different from one to the other, but it is all strength.
The labor movement is not sexless. And many women have and continue to fight to make this a better
world for ALL of us. Power wields its sword upon those it deemsless powerful and women know this story
well. Trans women do, too.
I will end this piece by highlighting Ms. Huerta’s incredible accomplishments in search for fairness and
justice for all. As written in the National Women’s History Museum website, Ms Huerta is “one of the
most influential labor activists of the 20th century”. It was her experience as a teacher facing hungry
children that showed Ms Huerta the struggle that farm families faced and felt moved to help. She is
credited with founding or co-founding organizations such as the Community Service Organization (CSO),
the Agricultural Worker’s Association and the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA).
Ms Huerta fought and continues to fight to strengthen Hispanic communities, champion women’s rights,
and improve working conditions for farm workers. Her work lead to gaining the right to organize and
materialized better contracts, safer work conditions, better wages, unemployment benefits and
healthcare during the 60’s and 70’s.
Dolores Huerta is the recipient of many honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom which was
awarded in 2012. Her legacy is an example of strength and resilience in building a movement that is
greater than any one individual.
Solidarity Forever,
Odalis Hernandez
UUP Stony Brook West Chapter
Diversity Officer
—
Fernandez, Manny, and Sarah Hurtes. “Cesar Chavez, a Civil Rights Icon, Is Accused of Abusing
Girls for Years.” The New York Times, 18 Mar. 2026,
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html.
Kratz, Jessie. “Dolores Huerta: “Sí, Se Puede!”” Pieces of History, 11 Oct. 2023,
prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2023/10/11/dolores-huerta-si-se-puede/.
Michals, Debra. “Dolores Huerta.” National Women’s History Museum. National Women’s
History Museum, 2015.