East LA elementary school marks death of Dolores Huerta with mural tribute

Dolores Huerta, the civil rights leader who helped build the United Farm Workers union, has died. Her death brings a specific weight to Marianna Avenue Elementary School in East Los Angeles, where a large mural of her face looks out over the courtyard.

The school maintains a direct family connection to the late activist. Rafael Rodriguez, a sixth-grade teacher at the campus, is married to Huerta's daughter, Maria Elena. Rodriguez described the passing as a period of grief mixed with gratitude for the decades of work Huerta completed.

"Obviously, we're all going through a bit of grief, sorrow. But it's filled with a little bit of joy, knowing that Dolores has lived a momentous life, with all the achievements that she's done throughout the decades," Rodriguez said.

The mural itself arrived through local efforts. Rodriguez helped organize the project, and artist Lilia Ramirez, known professionally as Lili Flor, painted the piece. Ramirez stated that she had a personal friendship with Huerta. The artist recalled that Huerta attended the unveiling of the artwork, a moment Ramirez described as part of a century-long legacy of community figures.

"I feel very grateful to have even painted her while she was alive," Ramirez said.

Lynette Vargas, the principal at Marianna Avenue Elementary, said the artwork has become a central point of pride for students and staff. The school will continue to display the mural as a permanent tribute to Huerta's influence on the local community.