The Greek Theater of Los Angeles, California, was packed with people on August 13 to pay homage to legendary activist Dolores Huerta. Under the slogan "Weaving Movements Together,” five thousand people celebrated the 80th birthday of the renowned civil rights activist.

The event was mainly aimed at paying tribute to a woman who has devoted her life to defend the rights of workers and immigrants and to carry out progressive activities.

Well-known musicians Carlos Santana, Pete Escobedo, Lila Downs and Culture Clash provided the entertainment for the concert that brought together a large number of personalities, like Raul Grijalva, Congressman for Arizona; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis; and actors Danny Glover, Edgar Olmos and Martin Sheen. All of them, along with an enthusiastic audience, came together at the theater to honor the legacy of Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation for Community Organizing.

More than 5,000 people, mostly Latin Americans, attended the presentation to show their appreciation for Dolores’ lifelong commitment to civil rights, particularly farm workers in the U.S.  Currently, she is one of the leaders of the struggle for the rights of immigrants and against the racist laws of Arizona, known as SB1070.

To do justice to the slogan "Weaving Movements Together,” tables with information about the causes the progressive movement in the United States is working on were placed in front of the theater. The International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five placed a table with literature related to their case next to the KPFK radio station from Pacifica network, which broadcast the concert live.

Members of the Committee distributed thousands of bilingual leaflets, flyers and cards to send to US President Barack Obama. Many people left their names to express their support for our cause and requested to receive more information. As a sign of the increasing knowledge that exists about the case, many of those present were familiar with the case of The Five.

The Five sent a plaque to Dolores Huerta for her birthday. When Danny Glover visited the Committee’s table, he was asked if he could give it to Dolores, and he said he would be honored to do so. Moments later, while being interviewed by the KPFK, Glover was visibly moved at the time of describing his recent visit to Gerardo Hernandez in a maximum security prison in Victorville.

During the concert, Glover was invited to say a few words in honor of Dolores. He described the different struggles she has embraced over the years: the struggle for farm workers, the movement against the war, and the demands for the rights of immigrants and women. An enthusiastic applause rang in the audience when Glover referred to Dolores’ support for the cause of the Cuban Five.

At a press conference with a significant presence of the media, held a few hours earlier, Dolores Huerta addressed participants and answered questions by radio and television journalists and from different media outlets.

One of the questions on the Cuban Five was: "There have been some positive signs between Cuba and the U.S. lately.  Cuba has set a large number of prisoners free and has promised to free more in the coming months. Given the prevailing climate, do you think there are possibilities for the Cuban Five to be released? What can people do to make that happen? "

Dolores Huerta answered by explaining who the Five are. She said they were collecting information in Miami on terrorist groups operating against Cuba. But instead of arresting the terrorists the FBI arrested the Cuban Five. "The only ways they can be released is by putting pressure on, by doing the work and inform people from the bottom to the top and reach politicians. It is very unfair that they are still in prison. “

The concert left in the audience a message of encouragement and great energy. The example of the life and work of Dolores inspires us to continue organizing and uniting ourselves and working together to build a stronger progressive movement that manages to successfully accomplish each of our demands.

Translated by Daysi Olano /

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