Latina Heroine Dolores Huerta Awarded "Medal of Freedom" by President Obama

Today, President Obama honored Dolores Huerta and several others with the Medal of Freedom. Also honored were cultural icons including Bob Dylan and Toni Morrison, as well as groundbreaking pioneers like former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and Pat Summit, the winningest basketball coach in NCAA history and Jan Karski, whose work in the Polish resistance allowed him to share a first-hand account of the Holocaust with Western Allies.

As we all know, Dolores, who cofounded the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez, is an American Latino icon and role-model for those seeking the American Dream.

Our President proclaimed, "Together, the honorees on this stage have moved us with their words; they have inspired us with their actions. They’ve enriched our lives and they’ve changed our lives for the better. Some of them are household names; others have labored quietly out of the public eye. Most of them may never fully appreciate the difference they’ve made or the influence that they’ve had, but that’s where our job comes in. It’s our job to help let them know how extraordinary their impact has been on our lives. And so today we present this amazing group with one more accolade for a life well led, and that’s the Presidential Medal of Freedom."