BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Mourners gathered Wednesday night to honor the legacy of labor rights activist Dolores Huerta after she died earlier that day at 96.
The vigil was held outside the construction site for the new headquarters of the nonprofit Dolores Huerta Foundation. The project broke ground last June and is expected to open next year.
Huerta died at her home in Bakersfield. In the 1960’s and 70’s Huerta helped lead the United Farm Workers’ grape strike in Delano. She advocated for labor rights and was part of the feminist movement up until her death.
About 100 people held candles and laid locally grown cempasúchil – Mexican marigolds traditionally associated with the Day of the Dead holiday.
The fence outside the future home of the Dolores Huerta Foundation turned into a giant offering.
Huerta’s son Emilio Huerta thanked those who attended.
“This has not been easy for us, but we know that my mother would have been honored and were honored by your vigil here this evening. The flowers were harvested by farmworkers in Wasco for this purpose only," he said.
Along with writing messages on a banner, guests were encouraged to bring “I voted” stickers to place them on pictures of Huerta.
Huerta died just days before the 2026 Midterm Election, in which she had been active with campaigns.
Bakersfield city resident Cyndi Imperial and her daughter, Jesseca, turned in their ballots earlier that day before showing up to the vigil. Imperial gave her sticker to her daughter to place near a photo of Huerta. She saw it as “passing on the torch” of Huerta’s legacy.
Imperial said it was special to have a large civil rights figure like Huerta live in Bakersfield. She and her daughter both canvassed alongside Huerta.
“We were just grateful that somebody of her legendary status chose to be friends with us. You know, she's been to my birthday. She's been to [my daughter’s] birthday,” she said.
Jesseca wore an old T-shirt that Huerta gifted her. It featured a female symbol and the words “Arriba Feminista” which translates to “Up With Feminism."
She said her first real job was volunteering with the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
Bakersfield Vice Mayor Manpreet Kaur credited Huerta for helping her become an elected official.
“I would not be here as an elected official representing the district that I do today without Dolores,” Kaur told the crowd at the vigil. “There’s value in staying here [Bakersfield] to see the fruits of the labor that we're planting today."
Oliver Rosales, a history professor at Bakersfield College, said Huerta’s legacy will continue in the San Joaquin Valley when her foundation’s building finally opens. That’s where the community will have access to training on community organizing.
“I'm so glad that that's happening and it's really moving,” he told KVPR. “It could really be an important legacy, not only to her work but for, again, the larger activist network that is carrying on her legacy.”
