Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union, labor organizer, and a champion for civil and human rights died on Wednesday at the age of 96.

It is a cliché to refer to someone as an Icon. Dolores Huerta was. It is easy to say someone is a “great person.” Dolores Huerta was.

She gave up a stable teaching career to help organize the farmworkers, among the most exploited and abused workers in the United States. She was a cofounder of the United Farm Workers union along with Cesar Chavez and Larry Itliong. She played a vital role in organizing the union’s successful grape boycott that led the first union contracts for farm workers. She was arrested more than 25 times for nonviolent protest.

She was also a champion of women’s rights. Despite the labor moment’s and the civil rights moment’s commitment to human rights, civil rights, and equity and equity, women such as Huerta who have been involved in both movements have had to endure sexism.She was a person of immense courage. Tragically, we did not know the depth of her courage until we learned earlier this year that Chavez had raped her twice. She kept this secret because she knew that had she revealed that he had raped her, the enemies of the movement would have used it to try to destroy the movement and deny farm workers the most basic human dignity. When she did go public, she did so to support the other women Chavez had sexually abused. She must have known that her coming forward would leave no doubt that the reports of Chavez’ sexual abuse were true.

Honor her legacy by voting. Huerta knew the importance of voting. If you have not voted yet, please do.

May her memory be a blessing.

Si se Puede.