‘She was truly an icon’ — Medgar Evers College celebrates the life of Dr. Hazel N. Dukes
Editor’s note: Story via Press Release from Dukes family & Medgar Evers College Office of Communications
Long-time civil rights activist, public servant, staunch advocate for Medgar Evers College and president of the NAACP New York State Conference, Dr. Hazel Nell Dukes died on Saturday at her New York City home at the age of 92, with her family by her side. She is survived by her son Ronald Dukes and daughter-in-law Janet Dukes and leaves behind cherished memories and a lasting legacy to the many lives that she touched.
“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of Dr. Hazel Dukes, an extraordinary leader and cherished friend of Medgar Evers College. Dr. Dukes embraced our institution with unwavering dedication, and me personally with the warmth of family when I began my presidency,” said Dr. Patricia Ramsey, the president of Medgar Evers College.
“Her enthusiasm upon the revival of our campus NAACP chapter was matched only by her pride in our students’ participation as delegates at the national convention in Las Vegas, this past July. She was very generous about sharing the limelight and championed the students and me whenever the opportunity presented itself. Medgar Evers College bestowed Dr. Dukes with an honorary doctorate in 2009, but she honored us with her wisdom, her courage, and her unwavering belief in our potential. Though she has left us, the seeds of activism and excellence that she planted at Medgar Evers College and in our community must continue to be watered to bring forth good fruit for generations to come.
“Our deepest condolences to her family and dearest friends— she truly was an icon, in every sense of the word.”
An outspoken advocate for voting rights, economic development, fair housing, and quality education for all, Dukes dedicated more than seven decades advocating for racial diversity, equity, inclusion, and long-lasting social change. She served as a member of the NAACP National Board of Directors and presided over the NAACP New York State Conference for more than 20 years. In 1989, she was elected national president of the NAACP–one of the few women ever to lead the historic civil rights organization.
Into her 90s, she remained on the frontlines, whether protesting police brutality or pushing for better health care in underserved neighborhoods.
“Dr Hazel Dukes was my sister who believed in the greatness of the students we serve,” said Dr. Evelyn Castro, Senior Advisor to the President for Community Engagement and Dean, School of Professional & Community Engagement at Medgar Evers College.
“She lifted up the legacy of Medgar Wiley Evers and our fight for equality and justice for all.”
Dr. Dukes is the recipient of numerous honors and awards for her many years of commitment to justice and activism including the the National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s Candace Award for community service, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for patriotism and philanthropy, and the NAACP 108th Spingarn Medal–the highest or noblest achievement by a living African American in any honorable field. In January 2023 Dr. Dukes made history by becoming the first layperson in the United States of America to administer the oath of the office to a governor.
Dukes was also a successful entrepreneur and President and founder of Hazel N. Dukes & Associates Consultant Firm and a member of numerous civic organizations including NAACP, Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc., The Links, Inc. and the National Council of Negro Women, Inc.
Despite her many titles and distinctions, she often described herself simply as a servant of the people. “…if I can help somebody as I pass along; then my living shall not have been in vain.”
The life of Dr. Dukes
Dr. Hazel Nell Dukes was born on March 17, 1932, in Montgomery, Ala., the only child of Edward and Alice Dukes. Her father was a Pullman porter who helped organize the first all-Black railroad union alongside A. Philip Randolph, and her family’s neighborhood included civil rights icon Rosa Parks – “I could stand on my front porch and look at Ms. Parks’s front porch,” Dukes recalled to the New York Amsterdam News. In 1955, after a year of college in Alabama, Dukes moved with her parents to Long Island, N.Y. where she studied business at Nassau Community College and quickly got involved with tenant rights and community organizing in the town of Roslyn in North Hempstead. In the 1960s, Dukes was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to his Head Start early childhood education program—one of the oldest and largest programs of its kind.
In 1966 she became the first Black person hired by the Nassau County Attorney’s Office, where she tackled housing and foster care cases. She also served as a community organizer with the county’s Economic Opportunity Commission, coordinating day care, schooling and job training for disadvantaged families. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University in 1978, nearly three decades after enrolling in college.
By then, Dukes had become a force in Democratic politics. She served as the first Black vice-chair of the Nassau County Democratic Committee and sat on the Democratic National Committee from 1976 to 1982. During the Reagan and Bush years, she emerged as a fierce critic of policies she felt undermined civil rights, from cuts to social programs to weak enforcement of school desegregation.
From 1989 to 1992, Dukes served as the national president of the NAACP–the second woman to hold the post. Dukes prioritized mentoring Black youth and fostering alliances with female leaders in business and politics during her term. In 1990, New York mayor David Dinkins appointed her president of the city’s Off-Track Betting Corporation.
Dukes received numerous honors and awards for her many years of commitment to justice and activism. She received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor; YWCA City of New York John La Farge Memorial Award for Interracial Justice; The Network Journal’s 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business Award; First Annual Ruth Clark Trailblazer Award; National Action Network Legacy Award; City & State Fifty Over 50 Lifetime Achievement Award; John E. Zuccotti Public Service Award by the Real Estate Board of New York; the first recipient of the Metro-Manhattan Chapter of The Links, Inc. Hazel N. Dukes Social Justice Champion Award; a Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce 2023 125th Anniversary Gala honoree; City and State’s 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award; the New York Knicks 2024 Sweetwater Clifton City Spirit Award; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated (Psi Lambda Lambda Chapter), 2024 Citizen of the Year Award; Union Baptist Church (Harlem) 2025 Commemorating Our Heritage Award; New York City 2025 Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises Award; and Greater Jamaica Development Corporation 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2020, Dukes was presented the key to New York City by former Mayor Bill de Blasio for years of dedicated public service to New York City, and in 2023, she made history by becoming the first layperson in the United States of America to administer the oath of office to a governor. Dukes was awarded the NAACP 108th Spingarn Medal that same year–the highest or noblest achievement by a living African American in any honorable field. In 2024, the State University of New York launched the SUNY Black Leadership Institute and established the Dr. Hazel Dukes Fellowship.
Dukes received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Adelphi University, Garden City, New York, and completed post-graduate work at Queens College. In 1990, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the City University of New York Law School at Queens College, and in 2009, she was conferred the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn, New York. In 2012 she was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Harlem, New York.
Dukes is a member of numerous organizations including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, The Links, Incorporated, and the National Council of Negro Women, Incorporated.
