Hazel Dukes, a prominent civil rights leader and president of the New York State chapter of the NAACP, passed away on Saturday at the age of 92. Dukes died peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by her family, according to her son, Ronald Dukes.
For nearly fifty years, Dukes led the New York State NAACP, advocating fiercely for voting rights, economic growth, fair housing, and education. Even in her later years, Dukes remained a vocal critic of police misconduct and continued her calls for better healthcare access in underserved communities, as stated by the NAACP’s New York chapter.
In 2023, Dukes was honored with the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP’s highest award, presented to her by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In her acceptance speech, Dukes declared she was not “tired yet” and promised to keep advocating for justice and empowerment for future generations of leaders.
Dukes played a significant role in paving the way for Black women in politics. In 1972, she stood at the Democratic National Convention to support Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for the party’s presidential nomination. Her influence extended to the 2020 presidential campaign, where she endorsed the decision by then-candidate Joe Biden to select a Black woman as his running mate.
In a recent post on X, Vice President Kamala Harris referred to Dukes as a hero upon whose shoulders many stand today. Dukes expressed her pride in Harris’s achievements and excitement about the future of Black women in leadership roles.
In addition to her leadership in the NAACP, Dukes ran her own consulting firm and served on the NAACP National Board of Directors. The organization recognized her as a “living embodiment” of its mission, emphasizing her profound impact on the civil rights movement.
In tribute to Dukes, New York City Mayor Eric Adams ordered flags to be flown at half-staff, honoring a remarkable life dedicated to advocacy and service.
