Hazel N. Dukes, Dies at 92
Hazel N. Dukes, a pioneering civil rights leader and longtime president of New York State’s N.A.A.C.P., died at 92 in her Harlem home. She led the state conference from 1977 until her death and served as national president from 1990 to 1992. Dukes also founded Hazel N. Dukes & Associates, a consulting firm focused on strategic planning.
Throughout her life, Dukes was a fearless advocate for equality in education, housing, and the workplace. She influenced several Democratic administrations in New York, officiated Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2023 inaugural, and served on Mayor Eric Adams’s Charter Revision Commission.
Colleagues described Dukes as an omnipresent force. Former Governor David Paterson noted her persistence in correcting injustices, while Hillary Clinton praised her relentless commitment to civil rights. Mayor Adams honored her by lowering city flags to half-staff.
Dukes’s career wasn’t without controversy. As president of New York City’s Off-Track Betting Corporation, she faced criticism for the organization’s financial decline and settled a lawsuit over racial discrimination claims. In 1997, she pleaded guilty to embezzlement, repaid the funds, and continued her advocacy undeterred.
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1932, Dukes grew up near Rosa Parks. She moved to New York in 1955, worked in various public service roles, and earned a business degree from Adelphi University. She later received honorary doctorates and preferred to be called Dr. Dukes.
Her activism included pressing for integrated housing and smaller class sizes as Nassau County’s first Black Democratic vice chairwoman. Despite losing her national N.A.A.C.P. presidency in 1992 over a leadership dispute, she remained a vital part of the organization’s state and national boards.
Dukes’s enduring impact was recognized in 2023 when she received the N.A.A.C.P.’s Spingarn Medal. At the ceremony, she reaffirmed her commitment to justice: “With every breath in my body, I will continue to advocate and do the work necessary to stop those trying to turn back the hand of time.”
She is survived by her son, Ronald. North Hempstead, N.Y., renamed a street in her honor, cementing her legacy as a tireless fighter for civil rights whose life’s work shaped countless communities for the better.
