November 5 | Volume 30 No. 33

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Honoring Dolores Huerta: California Salutes the Life and Leadership of Labor and Civil Rights Icon

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

Day of the Dead Arts Fest: A Night of Culture, Art and Community

Folklórico dancers fill the courtyard with color at the Day of the Dead Arts Fest 2022 at San Bernardino County Museum, as families gather beneath strands of papel picado to celebrate the tradition.

Dee Slade remembers Dolores Huerta not simply as a civil rights icon, but as a neighbor, collaborator and friend who never hesitated to answer another community’s call for justice. “What an amazing woman she was,” said Slade, executive director of the African American Network of Kern County. “She consistently put others before herself and she tirelessly advocated for civil rights for all groups with a strong focus on women's rights.” The two women lived in the same Bakersfield neighborhood and joined forces to challenge the disproportionate suspension and expulsion of Black students in Kern County schools. Slade recalled Huerta calling her about the alarming disciplinary rates, then convening advocates at the first and only African American art gallery in Kern County to organize a response. “Let's join forces,” Huerta told her, according to Slade. Their campaign, Slade recalled, helped secure changes. “We won,” Slade said. For Slade, that solidarity defined the woman she affectionately called “my Dolores.” Huerta, whose relentless organizing transformed American labor and civil rights, died October 28 of cancer at her Bakersfield home, surrounded by family. She was 96. Her passing prompted an outpouring of grief, gratitude and renewed determination to continue her work.

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SAN BERNARDINO, CA--- San Bernardino County Museum, in partnership with Arts Connection – The San Bernardino County Arts Council and Inland Empire Latino Arts Association, invites the community to the first Day of the Dead Arts Fest on Saturday, November 14, from 4 to 8 p.m., at the museum in Redlands. The evening event will be a vibrant celebration of life, art and memory through creative expression and cultural tradition. Guests will enjoy an experience filled with color, music and con nection — featuring regional artists, live performances, artisan and food vendors, and opportunities for reflection and participation. Visitors are invited to contribute to a community altar (ofrenda) by bringing images or small mementos in honor of their loved ones or pets. The festival will also feature paper floral crafts and a collabora tive art project where guests can create and contribute to a shared work of art.

The festival is part of the County Museum’s ongoing exhibition “Journeys: Movement, Memory, and Belonging,” which explores creativity as a catalyst for community, inclusion and understanding. Guests will receive 50 percent off general museum admission during the event. Regular admission rates are $12 for adults, $9 for military and seniors, $9 for students, and $5 for children ages 6–12. Children 5 and under are free. The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands. The County Museum’s exhibitions and programs of regional, cultural and natural history reflect the Board of Supervisors’ commitment to the Countywide Vision — celebrating arts, culture, and education to create a high quality of life for residents and visitors alike. For more information, visit museum.sbcounty.gov for event updates and a full schedule of activities.