STATEMENT FROM MAYOR MICHELLE WU ON THE PASSING OF DOLORES HUERTA

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR MICHELLE WU ON THE PASSING OF DOLORES HUERTA

BOSTON – Thursday, October 29, 2026 – Mayor Michelle Wu released the following statement regarding the passing of civil rights and labor leader Dolores Huerta:

Statement from Mayor Michelle Wu

Boston joins working people across the world in mourning Dolores Huerta, a fearless organizer whose unbreakable solidarity transformed the labor and civil rights movements and inspired generations to fight for justice. 

Her voice rang with a rare courage. In August 1973, during the historic grape boycott, over 500 farm workers from Greater Boston gathered just to hear her speak—from California, through a telephone loudspeaker.

As co-founder of the United Farm Workers, she brought working people together across nationality and language to create the unity clap, a powerful symbol of solidarity between Mexican and Filipino farmworkers. For the past five years, our entire Cabinet has ended each of our meetings with that same clap, a reminder of the power we hold when we stand together. 

Boston will make sure her clap rings crisp and her legacy lives on by never backing down from our solidarity with working people.

Sí, se puede, siempre.