BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Friday, a local foundation was awarded $15 million to build the Dolores Huerta Peace and Justice Cultural center in Downtown Bakersfield.
It will be a multicultural community center complex, covering an entire city block on 21st street, and will provide several resources.
“I am standing here today, Dolores, next to you, because you have demonstrated with your life as a woman, as a mother, and as a sister how to powerfully, stand, and disobey when the whole world says bow. Si se puede Dolores,” said Leticia Perez, Kern County Supervisor.
Si se puede (yes, you can) rang throughout a press conference as each speaker presented. Speakers included, 32nd district state assembly member Rudy Salas who obtained $15 million from state funding for the cultural center.
“It's gonna also have like a child care facility. It’s gonna have a place for anybody who needs help with county service city services. They’re gonna be able to be that hub of transition and change and of resources for our community,” said Rudy Salas.
Officials also say the center will provide classes to get citizenship and financial literacy including, the self-help federal credit union, which was established to help create and protect ownership and economic opportunity for all.
“We want to honor the people who made the valley what it is today which, are the people who built it," said Dolores Huerta.
High school senior Alex Fan, a youth leader at the Dolores Huerta Foundation, said he could not be more excited about this building.
“I'm so excited because it's going to be able to empower youth all over central valley and bring us together and have conferences and workshops and it's just really exciting for all the youth of Kern County," said Fan.
