Civil Rights Icon Dolores Huerta to Receive 2025 HPRA President's Award for Lifelong Advocacy

The Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) has announced that civil rights pioneer Dolores Huerta will receive the 2025 President's Award at the upcoming ¡BRAVO! Awards Gala. The 95-year-old activist, who co-founded the United Farm Workers and leads the Dolores Huerta Foundation, will be honored on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at The Drake Hotel in Chicago during an event celebrating excellence in multicultural public relations and communications.

This year's awards theme, "Rooted in Purpose," recognizes individuals who maintain steadfast commitment to their principles during turbulent times. The theme emphasizes the importance of being grounded in community values when facing attacks and rhetoric aimed at silencing marginalized groups. HPRA President Sonia V. Diaz explained the significance of this focus, stating, "We are living in a moment when Latino communities are being scapegoated, detained, and stripped of dignity. In times like these, our role as communicators is not to bend or soften the message—it's to name injustice, amplify truth, and stand steady in defense of our people."

Huerta's selection for the President's Award reflects her embodiment of these principles. Despite her age, she remains actively engaged in organizing and advocacy work. In 2025 alone, she participated in mass protests against federal immigration raids in Los Angeles, spoke out against the arrest of labor leader David Huerta, and co-signed a petition to the United Nations requesting a human rights investigation. Her ongoing work includes advising immigrant communities, leading resistance against private detention centers, and promoting civic engagement through her foundation.

The Dolores Huerta Foundation recently broke ground on a new Peace and Justice Cultural Center in Kern County, California, continuing her legacy of community building. Huerta's impact spans more than six decades, beginning with her co-founding of the United Farm Workers in 1962. Her advocacy helped secure collective bargaining rights for farmworkers, led to bans on dangerous pesticides, and advanced gender and racial equity. She is also credited with coining the phrase "Sí, se puede"—"Yes, we can"—which has become a rallying cry for justice movements across generations.

Diaz emphasized the relevance of Huerta's approach to contemporary communications work, noting, "Dolores Huerta has never stopped reminding us that direct engagement—face to face, voice to voice—can move people to action. Her legacy proves that when we truly listen and speak with clarity and courage, we protect lives and shift power." The President's Award represents a singular honor selected annually by the HPRA President to recognize leaders whose work has transformed lives and shaped the cultural narrative of Latinos in the United States.

The 2025 ¡BRAVO! Awards will also honor several other leaders in multicultural communications. Karina Martinez, co-founder of DRAFTED, will receive the Pioneer of the Year award, while Adrianne C. Smith, founder of Cannes Can: Diversity Collective, will be recognized as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion. Independent journalist and commentator Julio (Julito) Ricardo Varela will receive the Journalist of the Year honor. These honorees collectively represent the strength, creativity, and cultural clarity that define leadership in contemporary communications. The ¡BRAVO! Awards were established in 2014 to honor outstanding multicultural marketing and public relations campaigns while celebrating individuals who have advanced authentic representation and equity across various sectors including technology, healthcare, nonprofit, food & beverage, and digital engagement. More information about HPRA's programs and mission is available at https://www.hpra-usa.org.