Civil rights labor leader Dolores Huerta visited the University of San Diego on October 22 as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series hosted by the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (Kroc IPJ) at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies (Kroc School). The Distinguished Lecture Series brings influential figures in peacebuilding, human rights, and social change to the University of San Diego to engage with the campus and San Diego communities.
For more than 50 years, Huerta has been at the forefront of movements for labor rights, gender equality, and social justice. In 1962, she co-founded the United Farm Workers with César Chávez and served as the organization’s Vice President for four decades. Her leadership helped shape historic victories for farmworkers and inspired generations of activists. In recognition of her lifelong work, President Barack Obama awarded Huerta the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
Dean Darren Kew of the Kroc School opened the evening, welcoming guests and highlighting the School’s commitment to advancing peace and justice through education and community partnerships. “Events like these embody our mission to connect students and practitioners with the leaders shaping the world’s most pressing conversations,” Kew said.
Ahead of Huerta’s address, Liz Ramírez, CEO of The Chicano Federation, took to the stage to set the tone for the evening and introduce Huerta. Ramírez reflected on the ways community organizations continue to advance the causes Huerta championed, saying the moment served as a powerful reminder that “the fight continues, the tools are in our hands, and our voices are stronger than ever.”
Huerta’s lecture drew a full audience of students, faculty, and community members, packed into the Kroc School’s Peace & Justice Theatre to deliver her remarks and answer questions from the audience. She spoke about the enduring importance of grassroots organizing, the role of young people in shaping social change, and the continued fight for equity across all communities. Her message emphasized empowerment, civic participation, and the responsibility each person holds in building a more just society. Referencing the Delano grape strike, Huerta said, “We won when 19 million Americans in the United States joined the boycott… The public responded to the farmworkers, and that’s how we won. It was people power. People understanding that they had power, that they could take action, and this is what made it happen.” Watch the entire lecture online on our YouTube channel.
Huerta was also joined onstage by Liz Ramírez, Rebeca Cazares Adame (Director of Cross-Border Initiatives, Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice), and Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick (Kroc School Professor and Associate Provost for Academic Strategy and Growth, University of San Diego) for a Q&A session.
As the evening concluded, attendees joined a meet-and-greet with Huerta, an opportunity that left many inspired to carry forward her legacy of collective action and civic engagement.
