LDF Mourns the Loss of Dolores Huerta, Tireless Champion for Justice

Read a PDF of our statement here.

Today, Legal Defense Fund (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson issued the following statement regarding the passing of Dolores Huerta:

"With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of Dolores Huerta, a lifelong champion for equality and justice who fought tirelessly for the dignity and rights of working people and communities. Her passing marks a profound loss for the labor and civil rights movements, and for all those who believe that dignity, justice, and opportunity must extend to every person.

"Throughout her life, Huerta challenged the systems that exploited working people and denied communities a voice in the decisions affecting their lives. As a trailblazing Latina activist who championed rights for all communities and especially advocated on behalf of exploited immigrant workers, she encountered formidable headwinds that she navigated with grace and unrelenting resilience. Her work affirmed a fundamental principle of civil rights: that the promise of equality means little without the power to claim it, defend it, and make it real in the lives of those too often excluded.

"Huerta's remarkable dedication reminds us that progress is built through collective action, sustained advocacy, and the courage to confront injustice even in the face of adversity. As we honor Huerta's life and legacy, we must also recognize the responsibility her example places on each generation to carry this work forward, protecting the rights and dignity of our communities and advancing a more just future for all."

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation's first civil rights legal organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957, though it was founded under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall while he was at the NAACP. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute (TMI) is a division of LDF that undertakes innovative research and houses LDF's archive. In all media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF (do not include NAACP) and refer to the Institute as LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute or TMI.