Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York’s Office of Service and Civic Engagement will be named to honor the memory of Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, the legendary New York civil rights leader. The Dr. Hazel N. Dukes Civic Leadership Initiative will be charged with promoting civic and service opportunities across New York, continuing the focus on public service and civic engagement that Dr. Dukes championed throughout her life.
The Governor also announced an expansion of SUNY’s Dr. Hazel N. Dukes Fellowship for the Advancement of Civil Rights.
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“Dr. Hazel N. Dukes was a giant of the civil rights movement,” Governor Hochul said. “One of the greatest honors of my life was when Hazel presided over my official swearing-in as Governor. She was a trusted friend and key advisor, and we pay tribute to her legacy by continuing our investments in service and civic engagement.”
Dr. Hazel N. Dukes Civic Leadership Initiative
The Dr. Hazel N. Dukes Civic Leadership Initiative will focus on service and civic engagement efforts across New York. It includes SUNY’s Empire State Service Corps, where participating students engage in paid public service work for more than 300 hours over the course of the year, working on projects like disaster relief, peer mental health and SNAP enrollment.
As a part of her 2024 State of the State, Governor Hochul announced the Office of Service and Civic Engagement to leverage existing partnerships and resources, including the State’s Commission on National and Community Service, to build out a holistic action plan to connect more New Yorkers, particularly our youth, to service opportunities.
Dr. Hazel Dukes Fellowship for the Advancement of Civil Rights
Governor Hochul announced the expansion of the Dr. Hazel Dukes SUNY Fellowship for the Advancement of Civil Rights, which will support one SUNY faculty member that will be selected each year to engage in research or scholarship related to civil rights, social justice, civic education, civil discourse, and community action. The application for the Dr. Hazel Dukes SUNY Fellowship for the Advancement of Civil Rights will open later this month, with the inaugural fellow to be named in June. SUNY tenured and tenure-track faculty from across SUNY’s State-operated campuses and community colleges are eligible to apply.
This builds on the Governor’s announcement last year to establish the Dr. Hazel Dukes Fellowship through the SUNY Black Leadership Institute (BLI), naming one exceptional individual from each cohort in honor of Dr. Hazel Dukes. The Dr. Hazel Dukes Fellow should embody the values, accomplishments, passion, clear thinking, and dedication to the cause of diversity, equity and justice that defined Dr. Dukes’ career and life. Governor Hochul established the SUNY Black Leadership Institute as a part of her Fiscal Year 2024 Budget to identify, foster, and support the development and retention of current and emerging leaders for an increasingly diverse university system and nation.
Portrait Carving on the Great Western Staircase
Governor Hochul announced her proposal to add a portrait carving of Dr. Dukes to the Great Western Staircase in the New York State Capitol in Albany. The Great Western Staircase includes portrait carvings of many notable figures, including the first 30 governors of New York State, United States presidents, explorers, politicians, inventors, scientists, authors, soldiers, poets, activists and abolitionists. The most recent addition to the Great Western Staircase is a portrait carving of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which Governor Hochul unveiled in 2023.
