Photographs and art pieces featuring Dolores Huerta’s life as a civil rights activist are on display at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. Huerta was a co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union. AURA VELASQUEZ/THE RIDER PHOTOS
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, the UTRGV Center for Mexican American Studies, College of Fine Arts and Office of Public Art will host a symposium featuring Dolores Huerta, a labor rights activist, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today in the Texas Southmost College Performing Arts Center in Brownsville.
The free event will begin at 11:15 a.m. with the first panel, “La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) and the United Farm Workers,” and talk about Huerta’s impact on the Rio Grande Valley.
From 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. the second panel will feature Cosecha Voices, an organization of former migrant farm workers, to discuss how storytelling was used to talk about the migrant farm worker experience in order to effect social change, according to Stephanie Alvarez, director of the Center for Mexican American Studies and associate professor in Mexican American Studies.
The third panel will take place at 3 p.m. and feature RGV Activism Today with Gabriel Sanchez, from South Texas Equality Project; Denise Palacios of Texas Freedom Network; and Josue Ramirez, who is a part of Trucha, to discuss their work and how Huerta has inspired them.
Following the keynote address by Huerta at 4:15 p.m. guests are invited to visit the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibit, “Dolores Huerta: Revolution in the Fields,” at 5:30 p.m. in the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, which is a collaboration between UTRGV and the museum.
The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Early College High School conjunto “Los PoderOsos” will perform during the reception.
Dahlia Guerra, assistant vice president of the Office of Public Art and Special Projects, said the symposium supports the exhibit, which will be on display until Oct. 1.
“So, usually when we have an exhibit, we’ll bring experts in the area,” Guerra said. “And because we have the exhibit of Dolores Huerta, I wanted to bring Dolores Huerta and I didn’t know if it was possible, but she did agree to come and we’re very excited about that.
“And because she was going to be with us, I thought it would be great to build a symposium for the benefit of our students and our community to recognize not only Dolores Huerta, but also pioneers and activists who have fought for civil and human rights.”
Alvarez said Huerta symbolizes hope and possibility of what activism, using your voice and standing up for others can do.
“We feel very privileged to be able to host Dolores Huerta,” she said. “She is an icon for the Latinx community, for mujeres everywhere around the world, I believe, but especially mujeres in the United States. There’s no better way than to bring someone of her stature to the Valley, and, hopefully, inspire students and the community to be engaged with their community and to participate civically in their community.”
