Fred Ross and Dolores Huerta

A turning point that steered Dolores Huerta to a life of community organizing occurred in 1955 when she met Fred Ross (1910–1992). Ross was the founder of the Community Service Organization (CSO)—one of the first organizations to advocate for Latino civic participation in the United States. Huerta volunteered in the establishment of a CSO chapter in her hometown of Stockton, and eventually became the organization's Sacramento lobbyist. At CSO she met fellow organizer César Chávez. After 1962, when Chávez and Huerta parted with CSO to found the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), Ross became an advisor to the organization and remained a mentor in organizing tactics.

Photograph, 1975 (printed 2014)
© Cathy Murphy Photographer