In the Presence of Greatness: Remembering Dolores Huerta (1930–2026)

Henrietta J. Burroughs with Dolores Huerta at the Facing History and Ourselves annual benefit dinner in San Francisco, March 2019.

With the death of Dolores Huerta, we have lost a remarkable woman whose courage, determination and commitment to justice helped change the lives of generations of workers and their families.

As a co-founder of the United Farm Workers, she helped bring national attention to the struggles of farmworkers and became a powerful voice for civil rights, women's rights and the right of everyone to participate in the political process.

I'm sharing this photograph of the two of us, taken in San Francisco in March 2019. Dolores was the honoree and guest speaker at the annual benefit dinner hosted by Facing History and Ourselves, where she received the organization's Upstander Award in recognition of her many contributions.

I feel honored to have shared that special moment with her and to have this photograph as a lasting reminder of our meeting.

Dolores Huerta showed what one determined person, working with others, can accomplish. Her enduring message, “Sí, se puede,” continues to remind us of the power of collective action. Its influence reached far beyond the farmworkers' movement, inspiring generations and finding new expression in President Barack Obama's historic 2008 presidential campaign, when “Yes We Can” became a rallying cry for hope and change.

May Dolores Huerta rest in peace, and may her life's work continue to inspire us and future generations.

“Sí, se puede.” “Yes We Can.” Even now!

Scammers are using the Iran conflict to try to steal your money and information

                                                                                                                           Graphic AI generated

With global attention now focused on the conflict in Iran, it’s no surprise that scammers have already added the war situation to their story lines. Some recent complaints to the FTC about imposter, romance and fake charity scams now include an Iran twist. 

The details of the scams change, but the scammer’s goal is always to trick you into paying or sharing your personal information. Here are some examples of these scams — and how you can protect yourself. For example, scammers might call you unexpectedly about a fraudulent charge...

Read more about the scammer's call on the East Palo Alto Today website here. 

 Are you doing what you can do to protect yourself?

Doug McConnell remembered: A personal reflection

 Photo by Shelly Lewis, MROSD

Henrietta J. Burroughs stands with Doug McConnell at Cooley Landing Park on April 19, 2013

                          

It's easy to be reflective when one hears about the death of a public personality, whom one knew.  The announcement on Thursday, January 15, 2026, of Doug McConnell's death brought back personal memories. I first heard of McConnell in the 1990s when I had a video production company.

At the time, my company reproduced copies of news shows, with the permission of local news stations, and sold them to the public.  Bay Area Backroads was a popular local show that McConnell hosted. The show referred their viewers, who were interested in buying segments or copies of the show, to my company for their purchases.

Twenty years later in 2013, I had a chance to meet and appear with McConnell in a video produced by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District at Cooley Landing Park, a public park and nature preserve in East Palo Alto. You can see several photos from our meeting here.

It was an honor to appear in two Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District videos that were both narrated by McConnell. The first was called Room to Breathe, in which he interviews me and I appear in several places and the second video was called Midpen-A Bird's Eye View, where I appear briefly at the 00:50 sec. mark.

During our meeting at Cooley Landing Park, McConnell accepted a personal invitation to be on my television show, Talking with Henrietta. The show was widely viewed and became one of my most popular shows, with nearly 6,000 views. You can see an excerpt from the show called Traveling Many Roads.

McConnell was a very pleasant and personable person. It was easy to see why he was popular and well-liked. It's always a moving experience to hear about the death of someone with whom one has crossed paths—someone who left such an indelible mark.

Looking back at the videos brings back memories. Life moves on, yet the memories it leaves are captured and enhanced through photos and film. I am grateful, as I travel on my own personal journey, to have crossed paths with Doug McConnell, whose work will live on through the many videos that reflect his creativity and his remarkable legacy.

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