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A new documentary film, “Dolores,” tells the too-little-known story of Dolores Huerta, one of the key organizers of the United Farm Workers union in the 1960s along with Cesar Chavez.
“Dolores” (USA, 2017, 98 minutes) runs Friday, Sept. 29, through Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Lagoon Theatre in Minneapolis.
The film screened here in April as part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival — and Dolores Huerta, now age 87, spoke to the audience after the film and earlier granted an interview to the Labor Review.
The story of the years-long struggles to build the United Farm Workers union remains one of the most inspiring wins in the history of the American labor movement.
“You had the poorest people and they were able to win against the most powerful interests,” Huerta said.
Huerta recounted a life-changing call to dedicate her life to working for social and economic justice. “I was a teacher going door-to-door doing voter registration. I decided to quit teaching and become an organizer.”
She became involved in community organizing in the Latino community in California and then began working with Cesar Chavez in farmworker organizing.
At the time, Huerta endured harsh criticism for focusing on her work as a labor organizer and for spending time away from her children.
But, Chavez said in the film, “Dolores being out there made it possible for women to be out there” — and women became very active in the UFW.
The UFW’s organizing efforts included organizing a grape boycott across the country and, Huerta recalled, “we had a strong committee here in Minneapolis. We had great support.”
The current times, Huerta said, require a new wave of activism. “This is what makes a difference — people taking direct action.”
Her current organizing work, including labor issues, is through the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
“We organize through house meetings,” she related. People invite friends and family to discuss “why we need to organize and change things.”
“In the process, we’ve developed a lot of local leadership,” she said.
Despite Trump’s 2016 win, Huerta expressed optimism. “We’ve lived through this already… We were up against Nixon… We were up against Reagan…” And the progressive movements begun in the 1960s and 1970s, she said, “came out stronger.”
“Organizing at the ground level is so important,” she said. “I think we are going to make a difference.”