New York State United Teachers released the following statement on the passing of labor and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta:
"Today, the labor movement lost a giant. Dolores Huerta spent her life fighting for people whose voices too often went unheard — farmworkers, women, immigrants and working families. She understood that real power doesn’t come from wealth or position. It comes from ordinary people standing together and refusing to accept injustice.
Before she became one of the most influential labor organizers in American history, Dolores was a teacher. She saw children coming to school hungry and without basic necessities, and she understood that fighting for those children meant fighting for their families, too.
She didn’t just help build a union. She helped build a movement. And as a woman leading in spaces where women were rarely welcomed, she broke barriers and opened doors for generations of leaders who followed.
Her courage extended beyond the picket lines. Even when speaking out meant challenging people and institutions she had helped build, Dolores never stopped standing up for what she believed was right. She reminded us that solidarity does not mean silence, and that true leadership sometimes requires the courage to speak uncomfortable truths.
Her rallying cry, Sí, se puede, was more than a slogan. It was a belief she lived every day — that together, we have the power to change what seems impossible.
On behalf of NYSUT’s 700,000 members, we extend our deepest condolences to her family and all those who loved her. We honor her not just by remembering what she accomplished, but by continuing the fights she dedicated her life to.
Sí, se puede. Always."