Govind Tekale
Hazel N. Dukes, who served as president of the New York State NAACP for nearly five decades and led the national organization, died peacefully at her Harlem home on March 1, 2025. She was 92.
Her son, Ronald Dukes, confirmed her passing in a statement, noting she was “surrounded by her loving family” in her final moments. “Mom was a committed civil rights leader in New York City and the nation and worked tirelessly on the frontlines almost to the end,” he said.
Dukes held the presidency of the New York State NAACP Conference from 1977 until her death, making her one of the most enduring civil rights leaders in state history. She also served as national president of the NAACP from 1989 to 1992, becoming one of the few women to ever lead the organization.
Born on March 17, 1932, in Montgomery, Alabama, Dukes grew up as the only child of Edward and Alice Dukes. Her father worked as a Pullman porter and union organizer, while her mother was a domestic worker. One of their neighbors was Rosa Parks, who would later become famous for her role in the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott.
After moving to New York with her family in 1955, Dukes worked at Macy’s and later for the federal Head Start program. She made history as one of the first Black employees at the Nassau County attorney’s office before working for the county’s Economic Opportunity Commission.
Her formal education included studying business administration at Nassau County Community College before earning a bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University in 1978. She also did postgraduate work at Queens College of the City University of New York. Though she did not receive a degree from this work, she had several honorary doctorates and preferred to be known as Dr. Dukes.
“She has been a fearless advocate for equal educational opportunity and has participated in the development of some of the nation’s most important advancements for early childhood education,” said Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP national board of directors.
Throughout her career, Dukes fought for voting rights, economic development, fair housing, and education. Her unwavering advocacy gave her access and influence in the administrations of several Democratic governors, including Mario Cuomo, Andrew Cuomo, and Kathy Hochul.
In January 2023, Dukes made history as the first civilian to administer the oath of office to a New York governor when she swore in Governor Hochul. Later that year, she received the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP’s highest honor, presented by Hillary Clinton.
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“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,” Dukes said upon receiving the award. “I’m not tired yet.”
Her career was not without controversy. As president of New York City’s Off-Track Betting Corporation from 1990 to 1994, Dukes oversaw the organization during its first deficit in 1993. The city later paid $4 million to settle claims by OTB executives who accused her of dismissing them because they were white, though she maintained they were incompetent.
In 1997, she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of embezzling $13,000 in 1993 from a former OTB employee who had granted her power of attorney while on disability leave with leukemia. Dukes repaid the money and suggested some of it had been for repayment of a loan she had made to the employee.
Despite these challenges, Dukes remained a respected figure in civil rights activism. Even in her 90s, she continued working as a civil rights advocate, speaking out against police brutality and advocating for better healthcare in underserved neighborhoods.
Her death prompted tributes from numerous public figures. Reverend Al Sharpton, who knew Dukes for more than 40 years, called her a “force of nature for justice” and an “activist of the highest order.” Former Governor Andrew Cuomo described her as “a great pioneer and warrior for social and racial justice.”
Mayor Eric Adams ordered flags on city buildings to be lowered to half-staff in her honor, while Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman did the same in Long Island, where Dukes had lived for decades before moving to Manhattan in her later years.
Among her neighbors in Harlem, Dukes was remembered not just as a civil rights icon but as a warm presence. J. Gorham, a 63-year-old neighbor, recalled her as “the sweetest lady ever,” who “always said hi to everybody.”
Former Governor David Paterson, who knew Dukes both as a neighbor on Long Island and as a political figure, described her as “omnipresent, someone who when she came into a room you knew she was there and didn’t leave until it was accomplished.”
As tributes continue to pour in, Dukes leaves behind a legacy as one of America’s most persistent and effective civil rights advocates. Her son Ronald is her only immediate survivor. A brief marriage earlier in her life ended in divorce
