American Foundation for Equal Rights

Marriage News Blog

AFER Advisory Board Member Dolores Huerta to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

Los Angeles, CA – Today, President Barack Obama named AFER Advisory Board Member Dolores Huerta a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  The Nation’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom is presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

Dolores Huerta, president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, co-founded the United Farm Workers of America with Cesar Chavez.  During her more than fifty years of tireless advocacy, Huerta led national efforts to stop the exploitation of farm workers and extend government protections and equal rights.  In 1998, President Clinton awarded her the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights.

“Dolores Huerta’s decades of pioneering activism has helped create a world that is more free and equal for all,” said AFER Board President Chad Griffin.  “Her lifetime of advocacy on behalf of farm workers, women, the LGBT community, and others has ensured that every person is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.  I am proud to count Dolores as a friend and an ally in the struggle for marriage equality.  The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a fitting honor for her inspiring work.”