Who is She 33? - Dolores Huerta

Short version: 

So this will be my only new piece for Women's History Month 2019. It's a larger illustration of Dolores Huerta featuring many symbols that represent parts of her life both big and small. Dolores is one of the most revolutionary women living. As the co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union her selfless activism and organizing helped to not only change the lives of the farm workers across California, but it continues to inspire young women and people all over the world.

It is a crime that more attention, respect, and admiration is not given to her. I just finished working on a project about her and had the chance to learn a lot more about her. But, if you're not familiar with Dolores, I highly recommend watching the most recent documentary by Peter Bratt. It will give you a good glimpse into her life. Then go check out her foundation because she is still organizing! I give Dolores and her family so much respect and thanks. Happy women's day! 

Longer Version: 

So, here is a slightly longer version but I am not going to go over her entire life just some of the words, drawings, and symbols I included. I would highly suggest watching the documentary if you are not a reader. If you're a reader go check out her foundation.

Stockton- Ok so Dolores was born in Dawson New Mexico, but she grew up in Stockton California. Although her dad was a farm worker and organizer, she was raised by her mom and siblings. There she watched her mom hold down jobs and eventually run a hotel which was not a typical thing for most women to do in the 30s. It was through her mom that she got her first feminist role model; saying that she never had to cater to her brothers. Her mother made them all work equally; which is often not the case in some Latinx families. Dolores attended school in Stockton in what was a very mixed setting, but she also experienced racism there in the treatment of students of color and her education. 

Dancing/Jazz-Dolores loved to dance and she loves music. One of her favorite genres is Jazz. She helped organize a dance, danced herself, and made time to go see musicians play live. 

Fred Ross-After working as a teacher and witnessing the conditions the children of farm workers lived in she dedicated her life to organizing. It is then that she met Fred Ross who ran the Community Service Organization (CSO). He taught Dolores about organizing and she became a bad ass at it. She was so persuasive and hard working that they soon promoted her to take policy changes to the states capitol.

Cesar Chavez-Another bad ass who worked with and was trained Fred Ross is Cesar. Cesar grew up as a child of farm workers and understood their experiences first hand. He was also a star at organizing and soon Fred was partnering Cesar and Dolores up. Cesar would also go on to be one of the most revolutionary activists of his time.

NFWA-National Farm Workers Association- Together Dolores and Cesar left the CSO and co-founded a small organization aimed at specifically organizing Latinx farm workers in Central California. They called it an association rather than a union because unions were outlawed and union organizers were being hunted. 

Huelga sign- After getting a jump from the Filipino workers AWOC (Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee) they joined forces with Dolores and Cesar to form what would become world famous as the United Farm Workers or UFW. The symbol for their flag inspired by Aztec iconography and later becoming a symbol for organizing, social justice, and Chican@ pride. The word Huelga means "strike" in both Spanish and Tagalog the languages spoken by the multicultural UFW.  

Si! Se Puede!- Dolores was a leader who often went into towns, cities, and communities to speak with folks, hear their needs, and to organize them.  She did this with wit, strength, and humility. But, if anyone ever told her she couldn't do something which both white folks and macho men of color often did, she'd say yes we can. Si Se Puede! Which is a slogan she came up with and was later used by Barack.

The Feminist fist- I included this because although Dolores was brought up Catholic in a traditional Latinx family she was brought up with some very feminist ideas. And when she met feminists on a trip to NYC to promote the grape strike of the mid 60s she gained some new ideas. At first she didn't rock with all of what they said, but then slowly she started to change her mind, incorporating them into her life. This is important, because of in el movimiento there can be sexism. Women from the Black Panther Party have spoken about this as well.

Family-So Dolores amazingly had 11 children! She now has 17 grand kids as well. So, as a movement parent she lifted up farm workers and fought for revolutionary causes. She worked tirelessly to do this for decades. But, her family life was sacrificed in many cases. She got married three times and often was away organizing. Her grown children have not held back in saying they were sometimes angry with her, left behind, or frustrated. They understand why she did what she did, but it was not easy. Somehow with little to no money (organizers don't get paid often) she raised and got help raising her kids. 

Billy club- I put that in there because she was beaten by the San Francisco Police Department. They broke her ribs and she had to be hospitalized. She has been arrested over 20 times in her life.

Why? Ok, so why did Dolores do all this work? Why sacrifice? A couple of reasons. The Mexican and Latinx workers who grew, picked, and serviced the farm lands that feed the United States were being exploited. They were being ripped off financially. Whenever possible the white farm owners undercut their pay. leaving them with not enough money to pay for proper housing (Dolores' mom often let workers stay for free because of this) , food, clothing, and/or schooling for their kids. Their kids could not attend school, they had to work in the fields to help support the family. The working conditions were horrible. Imagine bending over all day to pick fruits and vegetables without proper breaks, no drinking water, no bathrooms, or shade. Workers were . threatened if they asked for these things and fired if they attempted to form a union. They had no sick time, no benefits, no regular raises, and no support if they got ill. Lastly,  the farm owners were poisoning their workers as they worked them to death (life expectancy was in the 50's). The farm owners had their fields sprayed with harsh chemicals such as DDT known to cause cancer. Because of all this Dolores was passionate about fighting for these workers. 

Victory-And you know what? They organized among the Filipino and Latinx workers striking for years, bringing down a boycott that reached across the US . This eventually took so much money out . of the growers pockets that they forced them to the negotiating table, winning better working conditions, rights, and pay for the families. Dolores is a bad ass!

There's a lot I'm leaving out, but please check out more of the drawing and go find out more about this woman's life!   If you wanna see more women I've drawn for Women's History Month check these past examples:

Olive Morris

Collage of women

The Women's Building

Marley Dias

Debbie Tewa

More Bad Ass Women - Women's History month

Since I am making the decision to finish up some work that is on my plate that needs to be done, and I needed to take a break from my series "Who is She?" focusing on women's history month figures I wanted to post some of my favorite ladies who I've drawn over the past two years or so. I'll be back with more. Please celebrate and share art about women in the past and present who are making history. Our boys and girls need to see it.

Top to bottom, left to right (Inktober, BLK History month, Asian American heritage month, and Women's History Month): 1. Elizabeth Catlett-Artist, 2. Sara Khosjamal Fekri- Martial Artist 3. Sandra Equihua -Animator/Character Designer 4. Bessie Coleman- Pilot 5. Idayls Ortiz - Judo Olympian 6. Roxanne Shante- Pioneering MC 7. Iris Chang - Writer 8. Merata Mita - Maori Filmmaker 9. Lisa Lee- Pioneering MC 10. Chhaya Chhoum- Organizer 11. Shine Louise Houston- Porn Filmmaker 12. Ava DuVernay- Filmmaker 13. Jackie Ormes - Cartoonist 14. Harmony Santana 15. Debbie Tewa- Solar Electrician 16. Peggy Oki- Skater/Surfer

Who is She? 32- Jessica O. Matthews

Jessica Matthews is inventing new ways to make use of everyday happiness to produce energy. Jessica is from Poughkeepsie New York. Her parents are Nigerian and she is a dual citizen in the US and Nigeria. She is a graduate of Harvard and is an inventor. I found Jessica through Blavity's "Afro-Tech" conference which highlighted Black folks doing amazing things in the tech world. While in school, Jessica used some of her course work and projects to create a project that would be inspired by her many visits to family in Nigeria. Millions of people live without regular electricity, something I take for granted. They use kerosene lamps and gasoline powered generators. Jessica found a way to use a soccer ball to generate electricity. After many prototypes she invented a soccer ball called "Soccket" that when played with generates and stores electricity that can later be used with lights, cell phones, radios, etc. Since the invention, she taught herself some things about electrical engineering and she co-founded a company called "Un-charted Play" that re-envisions everyday objects like a luggage wheel, jumprope, pants (rubbing together), and the soccket to create electricity. Jessica has been featured in various publications and invited to many places such as Forbes, The White House, the Harvard Foundation, and Black Enterprise.

You can purchase this original piece ($40 includes shipping) by emailing me at info@robdontstop.com

Sources: Blavity/Afro Tech, The Aspen Institute, UnchartedPlay.com

Who is She? 24- Sara Khoshjamal-Fekri

Born in 1988 in Rudbar, Gilan- Iran. Khoshjamal-Fekri is an olympic winning Taekwondo fighter. She has fought in Germany, China, Thailand, Korea, England, Iran, and many more places. She started competing in 2006 at the age of 18 and has won several bouts. But more interesting and important, she is the first Iranian woman to qualify and represent Iran in Taekwondo.

I started this series of illustrations for Women's history month last year and plan to continue doing them for this year 2017. I invite any of you (artist or not) to join me in celebrating women from all walks of life, religions, genders, and nationalities. In light of the current climate of prejudice, racism, sexism, and more against Middle Eastern and African folks, Muslims, and women I would like to start off the month with some fighters to highlight their achievements and to promote self defense and "take no shit" attitude from anyone no matter who they are or what office they occupy attitude. Keep fighting back. Kick ass! Celebrating women of the past and present. Tag or mention someone who is a fighter (w/words, fists, paint brushes, etc)

Dig this? Check out Lady Sensei

Sources: Wikipedia, taekwondodata.com,

Who is She? 19- Sylvia Rivera

Sylvia is the one who threw the first bottle. She was one of many who set it off. Sylvia was a Puerto Rican Trans woman who lead a life of activism for young gay and trans youth in the city of New York. Along with Marsha Johnson and others she dealt with the harassment, the threats, and bullying of the NYPD, straight society, and even fellow Gay and Lesbian folks in their movement. Sylvia lived from 1951 to 2002 and inspired a generation of LGBTQ activists to stand up for their rights. I'm still learning and admit that I know very little about the Gay Rights movement, or the lives of Trans folks, but I do see that their history, herstory, stories need to be told so people learn about the discrimination, homelessness, activism, triumphs, legacy, classism, patriarchy, and love that is their story. Sylvia founded an organization with Marsha P Johnson called STAR-Street Transvestite and Rvelutionary. This organization pioneered advocacy and support for young gay and trans youth who were on the margin, kicked out, ignored, and murdered simply for existing. She challenged Gay and Lesbian activists who wanted nothing to do with trans folks and by throwing a bottle at the NYPD, she helped to ignite a rebellion that no longer accepted being oppressed. I consider her a woman to be talked about more during "Women's History Month" for Latinos, people of color, lgbtq folks, and straight/cis people like myself to learn about.

Sources: Pay it No Mind (documentary), Sylvia A Radio Onda Rossa (interview), Wikipedia (site)

Who is She? 15- Susan and Zakiya (Hack the Hood)

I met both Zakiya and Susan several years ago here in Oakland. Susan Mernit and Zakiya Harris are the Co-Founders of a ground breaking Oakland based organization called "Hack the Hood". The organization brings in mostly African American and other students of color to learn about the tech field. From the interview I heard with Zakiya on "Blacks in Technology" it sounds like a stretch for some at first, but they soon realize that everywhere they go they are no only participating in the tech industry but they can be active makers and producers in it as well. The students learn basic and complex coding skills by building websites for local businesses. They are not only learn coding, but they learn people skills, how to work with clients, and what it takes to run a business-therefore bringing more people of color into a extremely white, homogenized, and exclusive field.  Along with other organizations like Code 2040 they are changing the landscape of tech and empowering young people to be creators.

Susan comes from a background in tech, working for corporations such as Yahoo, Aol, and Netscape. She also founded or Co-founded several media and tech savvy businesses here in the Bay Area such as Oakland Local. She is the CEO and Executive director of "Hack the Hood". 

Zakiya I know from Oakland's historic arts culture of music. She was one half of the group Fiyawata, is currently working on a solo music project called "ShapeShifter". Zakiya has a long history of community organizing and youth education through organizations such as Grind for the Green at Ella Baker Center, TED, The Youth Leadership Institute, Global Exhcnage, and countless others. She is also a founding member of Oakland's Impact Hub which is the only HUb out of many worldwide run by Black women!

Sources: Blacks in Technology (podcast), http://www.hackthehood.org/our-team.html(site)

Who is She? 10- Olive Morris

Props go to @Gabstamatic from "I am the Nu Black (UK)" for making me aware of this great Woman. Olive Morris was an activist from the Uk who worked for Black liberation, women's rights, and housing. Born in 1952 in Jamaica, she moved to the UK with her family as a child. She died very young at the age of 27 from a form of cancer, but not before she founded or worked with several prominent activists groups in the UK such as the Brixton Black Panther Party, the bBrixton Black Women's Group, the Organization of Women of Asian and African descent, the Manchester Black Women's Group, the Squatter Movement, and many more. She also left an astounding impact on so many people, a multi-generational group of educators, activists, and students founded a group called ROC "Remember Olive Collective" to put together a narrative and story of her life and accomplishments.  From what little I've read, she was a student of sociology, an organizer and an activist who helped to organize strikes, supplementary schools, pickets, groups of people to purchase homes, and
 not only spoke about what was happening to Women of Color and Black folks in the UK, but  walked the walk. I would much rather see a film of her life than any Hollywood sequel redoing a film from the 70s or 80s.

Sources: Rememberolivemorris.wordpress.com (site), thefword.org.uk/2009/03/olive_would_hav/ (site)

Dig this? Check out Claudia Jones

Who is She? 7 -Trung Sisters

My wife told me about the Trung Sisters the other day and I had to draw them. The Trung Sisters were from Vietnam and are folk heroes there still to this day for fighting back against China. From what I've read they were alive around the time of 40 AD and not much is known understandably about their birth. What is known is that the Chinese were invading what was part of Vietnam back then and controlling the people of the area. These two sisters, fed up with this organized their own army which the Chinese Government underestimated. Thinking two women could not organize an army formidable enough to fight back, they were surprised when the sisters were able to organize thousands with many female generals leading them to kick the Chinese out of their area. The twins would and the Vietnamese would lose control three years later, but they fought back and are a part of a larger legacy in Vietnam of fighting against oppression and rule.

sources: Wikipedia (website), and "Trung Sisters History" by Tiffany Dang (youtube)

Who is She? 1- Alice Augusta Ball (Women's History Month)

I've decided to do a series of drawings for women's history month entitled "Who is She?".

Here is the first one of a scientist named Alice Augusta Ball, born in Seattle Washington in 1892. She was a chemist who developed a drug to aid in the treatment of Leprosy by isolating a chemical compound of Chaulmoogra oil. Her research lead to an effective treatment for countless people before a cure was found in the 40s. She died very young and credit for much of her work was taken by a man. Later another doctor uncovered what she'd done and she was recognized by the University and by the state. She was also the first Black person to receive a masters degree from the University of Hawaii.

Information found via "Women Rock Science (Tumblr)" and "On the shoulders of giants (youtube)".