Mayor Bass, Councilmember Rodriguez To Light City Hall Red and White In Honor of Civil Rights Icon Dolores Huerta

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Flags Directed to be Lowered to Half-Staff

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Monica Rodriguez today directed City crews to light City Hall red and white from Wednesday, October 28, to Thursday, October 29, to honor the life and legacy of civil rights icon Dolores Huerta. City Hall will be lit red and white in recognition of the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) which Dolores Huerta co-founded. Mayor Bass also directed the LAPD to lower flags to half-staff.

Statement from Mayor Bass: "Today, we lost an icon. Dolores Huerta was a remarkable woman, a fearless leader who fought for civil rights and advanced the labor movement for decades. Dolores inspired so many of us to activism. I admired her from a very young age, and it was an incredible honor and privilege not only to meet and know her, but to call her a friend. She inspired me through tough times and taught me to never give up. She supported me in every campaign and challenge I faced.

"Her work with farm workers changed our state and our nation. The movement she helped lead was about securing basic human rights for some of the hardest working people among us. Their fight, their struggle, and their victories helped secure landmark protections nationwide, including the first state laws giving farm workers overtime pay after eight hours a day, and the first comprehensive standards to prevent heat deaths in California.

"She didn't stop there. Dolores carried the fight into every arena where people were denied a voice. She championed women's rights, reproductive freedom, and gender equality, and she organized communities, here in Los Angeles and across the nation, so that all people had a stronger voice in the decisions that shape their lives. Her legacy is one of dignity and equality for all, and proof of what ordinary people can accomplish when they organize.

"Dolores reminded us that no matter the odds, no matter the obstacle, we can build a greater life for ourselves, our community, our city, and our country. She never, never stopped working. She was fighting for civil rights every day, into her nineties. Those who knew her, worried about her, but the intensity of her fight continued on. We honor her legacy by continuing the fight for farm workers and for dignity and equality for all."

Statement from Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez: "Dolores Huerta was the living embodiment of the labor movement. She endured fierce opposition, violence, and institutional hostility, yet stood unbroken. Where others saw insurmountable odds, she organized, mobilized, and demanded justice. She proved that when ordinary, working-class families unite, they can fundamentally reshape this country.

"Her courage laid the foundation for the labor and civil rights we defend and build upon today. Her relentless fight forced this nation to reckon with the dignity and humanity of the farmworkers who feed us, ensuring those who toil under the sun were finally seen, heard, and protected. I remain deeply thankful to have had the opportunity to organize alongside her on many occasions, witnessing firsthand her unyielding conviction and fearlessness in every room she entered.

"Tonight, as City Hall is illuminated red in honor of the National Farm Workers Association she co-founded, we recommit to her life's work. We will honor her memory by continuing to be the tip of the spear in unapologetically defending the dignity and humanity of every worker."