Hazel N. Dukes, NAACP New York president, has died

Hazel Dukes, a trailblazing civil rights activist and longtime Long Islander, died at her home Saturday in New York City, according to the NAACP New York State Conference. She was 92.

Dukes spent decades combating racial inequities. She pushed for equal voting rights during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s and was a prominent force in addressing housing discrimination in Roslyn, where she once lived. Just months before her 91st birthday, Dukes, president of the New York State NAACP, said she was working with the Hempstead NAACP to monitor school district funding to fight for better resources for public school students.

“As long as breath stays in my body, I will be your advocate,” Dukes said in January 2023.

Local leaders honored Dukes two months later, renaming a street in Roslyn Heights to “Dr. Hazel Dukes Way,” commemorating her lifetime of service.

“This is home,” Dukes said at the ceremony.

 Dukes, who grew up in Alabama, was a force on Long Island. She helped elect the first Black member of the Roslyn school board and helped the effort to make Assemb. Barbara Patton (D-Freeport) Long Island’s first Black state representative.

Dukes was elected president of the national NAACP in 1990 — a role she held for two years.  

Hempstead Village Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. said Saturday that Dukes “was more than a civil rights leader; she was the heart and soul of our community.”

“Her courage to confront injustice and her dedication to uplifting others have left an indelible mark on Hempstead and all of Long Island,” Hobbs said in a statement. “Her legacy is a beacon, guiding us toward a more just and equitable society.”

The NAACP New York State Conference said in a statement that Dukes “dedicated more than seven decades advocating for racial diversity, equity, inclusion and long-lasting social change.”

“Into her 90s, she remained on the frontlines, whether protesting police brutality or pushing for better health care in underserved neighborhoods,” said the statement.

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Dukes was a “dear friend and mentor,” serving as “an unwavering presence” in his life.

“I will remember Ma Dukes for her remarkable ability to bring people together,” Adams said in a statement. “Whether in times of crisis or celebration, she could fill a room with her commanding presence yet make everyone feel heard and valued.”  

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in a post on X, called Dukes “a great pioneer and warrior for social and racial justice…America has lost one of the greats.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James wrote on X, “My heart is heavy this morning to learn that another giant has gone on to rest. Hazel Dukes was a legend who fought for justice every day, and her legacy will live on.”

 Newsday reported Dukes pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree attempted grand larceny in 1997 for stealing $13,200 from a leukemia-stricken employee who finances she managed while she was head of the city’s Off Track Betting Corp. After the conviction, she resigned from her position on the SUNY board of trustees.

Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio presented the key to the city to Dukes in 2020, and she became the first layperson in the United States to administer the oath of office to a governor.

Dukes earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Adelphi University in Garden City and did post-graduate work at Queens College, according to a biography on the New York City Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice website.

She is survived by her son, Ronald Dukes, and daughter-in-law, Janet Dukes.

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