Hazel Dukes and the NAACP
Hazel Dukes was arrested in April 2008, along with other protestors, after blocking the entrance to the Holland Tunnel in an act of civil disobedience. The demonstration was in response to the verdict in the Sean Bell police brutality case. Bell, who was unarmed, was shot and killed by New York City police on the eve of his wedding.
Dukes’ journey into activism began much earlier. She was 18 years old and a first-year student at Alabama Teachers College when she had an encounter that changed the course of her life. The president of the Birmingham branch of the NAACP spoke to her freshman class about the importance of voting. Using a simple yet powerful example, he explained, “You are born in politics and die in politics.”
“He told us that when you are born, you receive a birth certificate issued by someone appointed by the government or elected into office,” Dukes recalls. “And when you die, the same happens with a death certificate. That made a lot of sense to me.” Inspired, she paid her $3 dues, joined the NAACP, and dedicated herself to the organization. She has since worked at every level, from local branches to serving as the NAACP’s national president (1989–1992) and a board member.
Now, as the NAACP celebrates its 100th anniversary, Dukes marks 50 years of service. In her current role as president of the NAACP New York State Conference of Branches, which oversees activities across the state, she views her work as that of a servant leader. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that a little girl born in Montgomery, Alabama, who took a leap of faith into something relatively unknown at the time, would end up here,” she says.
Dukes found her calling within the NAACP, particularly in the fight for educational rights. “For the past five decades, I have been privileged to fight for our children’s education,” she says. “There have been many battles, even on the local level, as we fought for school board elections. It has all been a very gratifying experience.”
Though her freshman-year experience sparked her activism, Dukes believes she was destined for this path. “When I look back, I realize that civic engagement and activism were in my family’s genes,” she says. Her maternal grandmother was a quiet yet influential leader. “She didn’t know she was an activist, and neither did I at the time,” Dukes recalls. “She carried herself with dignity, led missionary society meetings at our home, and always used fine silverware instead of paper plates. Looking back, I realize she was a true leader.”
Throughout her career, Dukes has held key positions in both the public and private sectors but has never pursued elected office. When asked about this choice, she is candid: “In elected office, you are not truly yourself. There are things you cannot say or do. I have helped elect many people, but I would rather speak out on issues without compromise.”
As a leading voice within the NAACP, Dukes is well-qualified to weigh in on the ongoing debate about the organization’s relevance, especially in the wake of Barack Obama’s historic election in 2008. “Many Black people, if not for seeing Barack Obama on television, wouldn’t even know we had a Black president,” she says. “They still have no health insurance, no jobs, and face foreclosure. America has not yet lived up to its full promise, and President Obama knows that.
“Anytime someone is denied an opportunity or faces injustice because of the color of their skin or their zip code, the NAACP is needed,” she continues. “Every time a child is denied a quality education because of where they live, the NAACP is needed. As long as there are more African American men in prison than in college, the NAACP is needed. Now more than ever, we must remain vigilant.”
As the NAACP reaches its centennial milestone, Dukes is proud of its legacy in shaping a better America for all. “America would not be where it is today without the NAACP,” she states. “The organization ensured that all people—not just men—were included in the Constitution. When Thurgood Marshall and his team fought unjust laws, people called it a victory for Black Americans. But it was a victory for all Americans. Women, LGBTQ individuals, Hispanics, Asians—many have built upon what the NAACP has accomplished over the last 100 years.”
In a world where attention spans are short and turnover rates are high, it’s rare to find someone who has stayed committed to a cause for five decades. But Dukes’ passion remains as strong as when she was an 18-year-old freshman. What keeps her motivated? The unanswered “why” questions that haunt her.
“Whenever I need motivation, I ask myself: Why have we lost two generations of our children—one to war and the other to drugs? Why do so many children lack computers at home while wearing expensive sneakers with blinking lights? Why are young men wearing sagging pants when our grandfathers wore suspenders? Why are we letting these things happen to our community?”
Until these questions are answered, Dukes knows her work is not done. And so, each morning, she rises, faces “the rising sun of a new day begun,” and asks for the courage to continue serving the people she has fought for over the past 50 years.
