OCTOBER 28, 2026
Contact: media@haitianbridge.org,  info@haitianbridge.org

SAN DIEGO, CA — Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) mourns the passing of Dolores Huerta, the legendary civil rights leader, labor organizer, and champion of immigrant rights, who died at the age of 96. As co-founder of the United Farm Workers, Huerta dedicated her life to advancing social justice, protecting vulnerable communities, and defending the dignity of working families. Her enduring rallying cry, “Sí, se puede,” became a powerful symbol of resilience and collective action.

Ms. Huerta was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2012, received the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award in 1998, and became the first Latina inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. Her decades of advocacy transformed labor protections, advanced immigrant rights, and established her among the most influential figures in American civil rights history

“Dolores Huerta embodied the courage and moral conviction required to confront injustice and defend human dignity,” said Guerline Jozef, Founder and Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance. “Her extraordinary legacy resonates deeply with our mission at Haitian Bridge Alliance. As Haitian families and other Black immigrant communities face discriminatory policies, detention, deportation, and threats to their fundamental rights, we draw inspiration from her unwavering belief in the power of collective action. She taught generations that meaningful change is possible when communities organize, stand together, and refuse to accept injustice as inevitable.”

Haitian Bridge Alliance extends its deepest condolences to Huerta’s family and the communities she tirelessly served. Her extraordinary legacy will continue to inspire generations of advocates working toward a more just and inclusive society.

ABOUT HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE

Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), also known as “The Bridge”, is a grassroots community organization that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies, foreign policy, and provides migrants and immigrants with humanitarian, legal, and social services, with a particular focus on Black migrants, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses. HBA also seeks to elevate the issues unique to Black migrants and builds solidarity and collective movement toward policy change. Anpil men chay pa lou (“Many hands make the load light”). Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @haitianbridge