Voto Latino Founders Honor Civil Rights Icon Dolores Huerta and Her Enduring Legacy
Washington, D.C. — In response to the passing of civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, Voto Latino President and Co-Founder María Teresa Kumar issued the following statement:
“Today, the world lost a civil rights giant. Dolores Huerta dedicated her entire life, until her final days, to championing and fighting injustice for everyone, no matter who they were or where they came from. She will be remembered not only for her heroic stories throughout the labor movement, but for the path she forged for people in my generation and the generations to come. Dolores always saw the good in people. To me, she was not only a mentor, a strategist, and a friend.
She always showed up.
At Voto Latino’s Power Summit, she was the person who stayed until the last minute. She didn’t see it as a waste of time. She was ancestoring our next generation of Latino leaders. She spoke with everyone who approached her, and with all the grace in the world, she listened and guided them.
Dolores saw the value and spirit in young people before the rest of the world was ready to. Because of her, our community has been empowered to be our own advocates.
That is the Dolores Huerta we’re honoring today.
Today we lost a pillar of our community. And as we now find ourselves in the final push ahead of Election Day, this is our moment to carry her formidable spirit with us. This is the time to learn from the example she has marked our nation with—to lead with grace, humility, and a fierce belief in our community.
We know the charge, and her work is not done. It is incumbent upon us to continue her legacy.”
Voto Latino Co-Founder Rosario Dawson issued the following statement:
“Dolores Huerta was a mentor and a beacon of light to so many of us, in our country and across the world. Her guidance transcended generations, nationalities, and borders. She touched so many people as she fought for justice, peace, and equality. She never backed down.
Dolores centered her life around doing good in this world and around the deep-rooted belief in leaving it better than we found it. It is now up to us to carry her legacy forward.
¡Sí, se puede, Dolores! May we carry your light and joy as we forge the path for new generations.”
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Voto Latino is a civic advocacy organization dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of Latino voters while working to build a more inclusive and representative democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered over two million voters. In 2024, the organization took legal action to protect voting rights, filing multiple lawsuits in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina to safeguard access to the ballot ahead of the elections.