(KRON) -- Influential labor activist Dolores Huerta has passed away at age 96, according to a post on her Instagram from her family. Huerta was a labor leader, civil rights activist and feminist.
"We are deeply saddened to announced that our beloved mother, Dolores Huerta has passed away today at the age of 96," the post read. "As you can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for us, and we ask for privacy as we grieve this incredible loss to our family.
'Always Yours, Never Mine’ screenings in CA: Where to watch Filipino box office film
"We know that many of you around the world share in our mourning, and we will be following up on plans to recognize and celebrate her incredible life and legacy."
FILE - United Farm Workers leader Dolores Huerta, center, leads a rally in San Francisco's Mission District on Nov. 19, 1988, along with Howard Wallace, president of the San Francisco chapter of the UFW, left, and Maria Elena Chavez, 16, the daughter of Cesar Chavez, right, as part of a national boycott of what the UFW claims is the dangerous use of pesticides on table grapes. (AP Photo/Court Mast, File)
She co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which became the United Farm Workers, with Cesar Chavez. However, in the wake of a bombshell report on the late labor leader's patterns of sexual abuse, often involving young girls, Huerta came forward in March, stating that she too had been victimized by Chavez.
Huerta said she stayed silent for so long because she feared that coming forward would compromise her life's work and unravel all the progress made for workers.
In the wake of the revelation, she urged people to stand firm in fighting for their rights.
Huerta famously coined the phrase, "Si, se puede!," which became a widespread rallying cry.
Her work over the decades earned her a number of accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. When then-President Barack Obama presented the award in 2012, he praised Huerta as a tenacious leader and joked that he had stolen her slogan for his 2008 campaign.
From the early 1970s on, Huerta's life partner was Richard Chavez, César’s brother, and together they had four kids. She also had seven children from two earlier marriages.
She kept a busy schedule well into her 90s, marching in protests and speaking in cities across the country about race, poverty, LGBTQ+ and women’s rights on behalf of her Bakersfield, California-based foundation.
Huerta was born in New Mexico but spent her childhood and early adulthood in Stockton.
Bay Area Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Livermore) called Huerta "an inspiration for generations of organizers."
"Her courageous leadership in civil disobedience set an invaluable example in nonviolence. Dolores's memory will live on," Khanna added.
Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-San Jose) called Huerta a "legendary woman of small stature and massive impact."
State Sen. and congressional candidate Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) issued the following statement on Huerta's passing:
“Today we mourn the passing of a legend who truly changed our state and our country. Throughout her 96 years, Dolores Huerta never stopped fighting to make the world a better place. Her courage and passion helped build the farmworkers movement, and she never stopped fighting for justice — whether for workers, women, LGBTQ people, immigrants, or victims of climate disasters. She energized movements, spoke truth to power, and kept fighting until the end.
”I had the honor of working with Dolores on various issues, including holding Big Oil accountable for climate disasters and creating an estate tax in California. Her strength, courage, and determination continually inspired me. Rest in power, my friend.”
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called Huerta a "dear friend," a "leader in the American labor movement," and a "champion for civil rights who lead with courage and determination."
“Dolores was a dear friend, and we all responded to her rallying cry, ‘Sí se puede,’ which inspired generations of Americans to believe in the power of collective action. I was honored to host Dolores’ birthday celebration at the United States Capitol when she turned 90, a compliment she returned to me at the California Democratic Party Convention in San Francisco earlier this year," Pelosi said. “May it be a comfort to her family and loved ones that so many mourn their loss and are praying for them at this sad time.”
"Dolores Huerta represented the best of us," tweeted California Gov. Gavin Newsom. "California -- and the United States -- would not be what we are today without her resolute spirit, her passion for justice and fairness, and her commitment to those overlooked and forgotten."
Former Vice President Kamala Harris called Huerta a "pioneering labor leader and legendary civil rights activist."
"Amidst the struggle of the movement, her rallying cry, 'Si se puede,' was a call to stay in the fight," Harris wrote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
