Assembly Resolution No. 160
BY: M. of A. Wright
MOURNING the death of Hazel N. Dukes, longtime
civil rights stalwart and distinguished member of
her community
WHEREAS, There are certain outstanding members of our community who,
through their selfless commitment and dedication, have served to better
the quality of life in our community and have had a measurable positive
impact on the lives of its residents; Hazel N. Dukes was one such
individual; and
WHEREAS, It is with profound sorrow and deep regret that this
Legislative Body records the passing of Hazel N. Dukes, noting the
significance of her purposeful life and accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, Hazel N. Dukes, an early and unwavering crusader for civil
rights who survived personal, professional and political setbacks to
serve for nearly a half-century as the perennial president of New York
State's NAACP, died on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at her home in Harlem;
she was 92; and
WHEREAS, A fixture on the front lines of the civil rights movement -
and eventually an elder stateswoman - Hazel N. Dukes was seen by
associates as courageous, implacable and ardently loyal; she was
president of the national NAACP in the early 1990s and headed the
organization's New York State Conference from 1977 until her death; and
WHEREAS, Hazel N. Dukes 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; she was also the founder and president of Hazel N. Dukes &
Associates, a consulting firm that focused on strategic planning; and
WHEREAS, In 1990, Hazel N. Dukes was appointed president of the
city's Off-Track Betting Corporation (OTB), a coveted job she held until
1994; furthermore, at the age of 91, she was named by the Mayor of New
York City to his Charter Revision Commission, a temporary panel
appointed to recommend changes in the structure of city government; and
WHEREAS, Hazel Nell Dukes was born on March 17, 1932, in Montgomery,
Alabama, the only child of Edward and Alice Dukes; her father was a
Pullman porter and union organizer, and her mother was a domestic
worker; one of the family's neighbors was Rosa Parks, who would become
known as the heroine of the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott; and
WHEREAS, After moving to New York with her family in 1955, Hazel N.
Dukes worked at Macy's and, while she lived in Roslyn, on Long Island,
for the federal Head Start program, as well as the Nassau County
attorney's office, where she was a trailblazer as one of the first Black
hires, and the county's Economic Opportunity Commission; and
WHEREAS, In 1978, after studying business administration at Nassau
County Community College, Hazel N. Dukes earned a bachelor's degree in
business administration from Adelphi University in Garden City, New
York; she did postgraduate work at Queens College of the City University
of New York and was the proud recipient of several honorary doctorates;
and
WHEREAS, As the first Black vice chairwoman of the Nassau County
Democratic Committee, she was a pioneer in pressing for integrated
housing in the county and for lowering class sizes statewide; she was
later president of her own public policy consulting firm and served on
the Democratic National Committee from 1976 to 1982; and
WHEREAS, In 2023, the Town of North Hempstead, New York, renamed a
street for Hazel N. Dukes in Roslyn Heights, where she lived for decades
before moving to Manhattan in her later years; that same year she was
presented with the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor given by the NAACP
to recognize outstanding achievements by African Americans; and
WHEREAS, Hazel N. Dukes' legacy as a trailblazer in civil rights
activism and her unwavering dedication to social justice has made a
profound impact on both the African American community and society as a
whole; through her leadership, advocacy, and tireless commitment to
empowering others, she has left an indelible mark on the civil rights
movement; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Hazel N. Dukes leaves behind a legacy which will long endure
the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all who
were privileged to have known and loved such an amazing woman; her
insight and strength will forever serve as a beacon of love, light and
hope to the countless lives she touched; she will be deeply missed and
truly merits the grateful tribute of this Legislative Body; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Hazel N. Dukes, and to express its deepest
condolences to her family; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Hazel N. Dukes.