The following statement was released by Superintendent/President Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson and the Board of Trustees:
With profound sorrow, we share the news that civil rights icon and Delta College alumna Dolores Huerta has passed away at the age of 96.
It’s difficult to put into words what Dolores meant to our employees, our students, and the entire Delta College community. But we will try.
As Dr. Sarah Seekatz so eloquently described during the dedication of Dolores Huerta Plaza in 2019, it was here in Stockton that Dolores witnessed the struggles of farmworker children to obtain an education. And it was here at Delta College, then known as Stockton College, that she began her journey toward becoming one of the most influential civil rights leaders in American history.
Dolores earned a provisional teaching credential at the College and later became a leader in the Stockton Community Service Organization, where she advocated for voter registration and began her lifelong fight for the rights of farmworkers. She went on to co-found the National Farm Workers Association with César Chávez, helping launch a movement that would transform the lives of countless working families.
In 2012, President Barack Obama awarded Dolores the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest civilian honor, recognizing her extraordinary contributions to civil rights and social justice.
Just last year, Dolores returned to Delta College, taking the stage at Atherton Auditorium to share her wisdom, her passion, and her unwavering belief in the power of ordinary people to make a difference.
As great as this loss is, we find comfort in one thought: The next Dolores Huerta may have been sitting in that audience. The next great champion for civil rights may be walking our campus today, pursuing an education and discovering their own power to change the world.
After all, that is where Dolores' own journey began.
Her passing is an enormous loss, but her legacy will live on in the movement she helped build, in the lives she touched, and in the generations of students who will continue to draw inspiration from her example.
This news has only just emerged this morning, and we will share more information about opportunities to honor and remember Dolores as it becomes available.
In the meantime, we invite you to learn more about her remarkable life and legacy by reading her full biography.
Sí, se puede.
