Dolores Huerta's Hidden Passion for Jazz Revealed in 2017 Podcast

Dolores Huerta, the labor and civil rights organizer who died recently, was also a devoted listener of jazz. This side of her life was documented in a 2017 episode of the NPR Music podcast Alt.Latino, where she served as a guest DJ. The segment offers a glimpse into her personal interests beyond her decades of organizing work.

Felix Contreras, host of Alt.Latino, invited Huerta to the show in 2017 after meeting her at a D.C. screening of the PBS documentary Independent Lens. He told her the podcast focused on music. Huerta agreed to participate, and she brought a playlist that surprised Contreras. He expected Mexican folk music, given its role in the early United Farm Workers union, but she chose jazz instead.

During the recording, Huerta described her habit of driving from her home in Stockton, California, to jazz clubs in San Francisco. She shared a specific memory of meeting saxophonist Charlie Parker. Huerta said she was dumbstruck and could not speak. She described the moment as awkward because she wanted to ask him questions but was frozen. She noted that meeting Parker left her more speechless than meeting President Obama or former presidents Bill and Hillary Clinton.

As DJ, Huerta wove social commentary into her music selections. Before playing Lena Horne’s Stormy Weather, she discussed the history of racism in show business. She said Black performers were often ostracized and denied successful careers in front of white audiences. She connected this history to the political era of 2017, calling it a time of stormy weather.

She also discussed the roots of Latin music, stating that it came from Africa. She played a track by Dizzy Gillespie and Cuban musician Chano Pozo, whose career ended in a shooting. Huerta used the song to call for vigilance against gun violence in the United States. The segment highlighted her ability to link artistic heritage to current social issues.

Contreras noted that Huerta ended her DJ spot with a ballad from Charlie Parker’s album Charlie Parker With Strings. He said this choice revealed a childlike sense of awe for art and beauty. He described this quality as a fuel for the determination that defined her life’s work. The recording, made in September 2017, remains a record of her enthusiasm for the music.

Huerta’s organizing work continued into her 90s. She was known globally for her role in labor and political movements. The 2017 podcast segment captures a different facet of her personality, showing her as a fan who valued art and history. Contreras called it an honor to share the mic with her then and now.