East LA school marks Dolores Huerta's death with mural tribute

Students and staff at Marianna Avenue Elementary School in East Los Angeles are mourning the death of civil rights leader Dolores Huerta. The school displays a large mural of Huerta on its campus, a visual reminder of her impact on the local community.

The institution maintains a direct family link to the late organizer. Rafael Rodriguez, a sixth-grade teacher at the school, is married to Huerta's daughter, Maria Elena. Rodriguez described the news as a mixture of grief and gratitude for Huerta's decades of work.

"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.

Rodriguez helped arrange the creation of the campus artwork. The mural was painted by local artist Lilia Ramirez, who operates under the name Lili Flor. Ramirez noted that she knew Huerta personally and attended the unveiling of the piece.

"Having her, and she was here during the unveiling. It was a 100 year legacy, we wanted to highlight iconic figures that are important to the community and so I painted what the community wanted and, so, they wanted her here," Ramirez said. "I feel very grateful to have even painted her while she was alive."

Lynette Vargas, the principal of Marianna Avenue Elementary, stated that the community takes great pride in the artwork. Vargas added that Huerta has left a legacy that many will follow.