Dr. Hazel Nell Dukes – a civil rights trailblazer, social justice fighter, housing reformer, education stalwart, political force, health services pioneer, and youth development advocate – dedicated her 92 years to forging a fairer and more just society. It is with profound sadness that we mark her passing on March 1, the first day of Women’s History Month – a symbolic final chapter for a woman who spent her life making history. Dr. Dukes’s legacy is expansive, reaching from New York’s grassroots to the halls of power – and even beyond U.S. shores to the Caribbean.
Born in segregated Montgomery, Alabama in 1932 and later moving to New York City as a teenager, Dukes learned early to question injustice and demand change. From the 1960s onward, Hazel Dukes stood on the front lines of the civil rights movement, challenging inequality at every turn. She began by combating housing discrimination on Long Island and helping to launch President Lyndon Johnson’s Head Start program. By the late 1970s, Dukes had become a powerful voice in the NAACP – eventually leading the New York State conference (a post she held for the rest of her life) and even serving as national president in the early 1990s.
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In those roles, and on the NAACP’s national board for decades, she was renowned for her unwavering commitment to fighting racism and inequality. Indeed, her advocacy extended to housing, voting rights, and healthcare access, reflecting her belief that equality had to be pursued on all fronts. The NAACP eulogized her as the “living embodiment” of its mission. Her decades of service earned her the NAACP’s highest honor – the Spingarn Medal – presented by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2023.
She believed that civil rights meant equity in all areas of life – from schools and housing to healthcare – and fought on all those fronts. A firm believer in cultivating the next generation, she mentored young activists throughout her career – a legacy honored in 2024 by a New York fellowship established in her name to prepare future leaders.
Hazel Dukes also wielded significant influence in politics. In an era when few Black women were respected in politics, she broke through barriers with sheer determination. She became the first Black vice-chair of the Nassau County Democratic Committee, using that platform to register Black voters and amplify their voices. Dukes also played a role on the national stage: at the 1972 Democratic National Convention, she seconded the presidential candidacy of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm – the first Black woman to seek a major party’s nomination. She advised multiple New York governors and guided New York City’s first Black mayor, David Dinkins. In 2021, Dukes administered the oath of office to Governor Kathy Hochul – the first time a private citizen swore in a New York governor.
Dukes’ impact was not confined to the United States. Recognizing that the struggles for racial justice and economic empowerment were global, she extended her hand across the African diaspora. She was an active participant in the Caribbean Multinational Business Conference (CMBC), a forum that brings together leaders from the U.S. and Caribbean. Dukes was a strong supporter of this concept from its inception, highlighting the “commonality of purpose” among people of color internationally and urging collective action. She was unafraid to share her views directly with prime ministers and presidents, impressing upon them the need for unity and cooperation across borders. Among the leaders she worked with was
Jamaica’s Portia Simpson Miller, that nation’s first female prime minister, whom Dukes admired for her trailblazing leadership. In turn, Caribbean communities recognized Dukes as a trusted ally in their own struggles for progress and unity. Through The Links, she supported educational and humanitarian projects in Caribbean communities. This helped cement a reputation that was both national and international – a testament to her lifelong aim of bringing people together. In Hazel Dukes’s worldview, the fight for justice transcended borders.
As we celebrate Hazel Dukes’s extraordinary life, we must also acknowledge the profound sadness that her passing brings. Dr. Dukes was more than a public figure; she was a mentor and confidante – known fondly as “Mama Dukes” – nurturing relationships that spanned generations. In the days since her passing, tributes have poured in from every quarter – from governors and mayors to church congregations and neighbors – all testifying to her profound impact. Even in her final years, she remained on the front lines – in 2021, at age 88, she stood in a Harlem church alongside Gov. Andrew Cuomo to urge Black New Yorkers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The grief we feel is tempered by gratitude for all that she gave us. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Dukes’s family, her friends, and her vast network of colleagues and protégés. Hazel Dukes lived to see many fruits of her labor – from the rise of diverse new leaders she mentored to the strengthening of institutions she helped shape.
For the Carib News family, this loss is deeply personal. Dr. Dukes was not just a subject of our reporting, but a cherished friend. We worked alongside her on numerous initiatives – including conferences across the Caribbean where she lent us her wisdom and star power. She always believed in our mission and bolstered us with unfailing encouragement.
We will forever remember how she always asked how she could help and lit up the room with her optimism and frank counsel. Carib News would not be what it is today without Dukes’s unwavering support and friendship.
As we say goodbye to this titan of justice, we also say thank you. Thank you, Dr. Dukes, for a lifetime of service that made our world better and showed us that progress is possible when we stand together. In the spirit of Women’s History Month, we celebrate a woman who made history by refusing to accept injustice as the status quo. Her race is finished, but the torch now passes to us – may we carry it forward with her courage and conviction.
