Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers of America and spent decades fighting for social justice, is being remembered for her lifelong commitment to empowering others.

Huerta died Wednesday at her home in Bakersfield, California, at 96 after a battle with cancer.

Jess Ramirez, a longtime friend who knew Huerta for four decades, said Huerta's determination to fight injustice inspired generations of people to speak up for what they believe in.