Many people know or have at least heard of a man named Cesar Chavez but not many people have heard of a woman named Dolores Huerta. This past Friday I watched a documentary called Dolores in a Chicago theatre about Dolores Huerta. She is a civil rights activist and was the co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association, now known as the United Farm Workers (UFW). She fought next to Cesar Chavez but many people don't know her mainly because she is a woman so history tends to hide this.
For example, the well known quote "Si se puede" which translates to "Yes we can" is often misinterpreted as a quote from Cesar Chavez but really it is a slogan that Dolores started. She was never given enough credit for all her hard work. She was a strong woman raising 11 children and coming close to death after a San Francisco Police beating.
After Cesar Chavez died, the UFW needed a new president and the people wanted Dolores to be it but the main board (all men) refused. Even though she started the group with Cesar Chavez and did most of the work being extremely involved, they did not allow her to be the leader because she was a woman. This angered her that eventually she quit. Now, she is still alive and continues to be a civil rights activist and gives many talks in various places and states.
This was a very good documentary and I definitely recommend it!
