Black History Month has come to an end, but the opportunity to learn never ends. February presented the annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and was a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. March gives us the opportunity to recognize women in history that have made a difference in the world. Be sure to look at a diverse group when learning about women’s history.
You have probably heard about Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks. But you may not have heard about Hazel Dukes; she was President of the NAACP New York State Conference and a member of the NAACP National Board of Directors, a member of the NAACP Executive Committee and well as an active member of various NAACP board sub-committees. Dr. Dukes was a woman of great strength and courage. Her dedication to human rights and equality was exemplified by her role linking business, government and social causes. Dr. Dukes was an active and dynamic leader who was known for her unselfish and devoted track record for improving the quality of life in New York State.
In 1978, Dukes received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Adelphi University. She also completed post-graduate work at Queens College. She held three honorary doctorate degrees from the City University of New York Law School at Queens College, City University of New York’s Medgar Evers College, and Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dukes worked to combat discrimination in housing while living in Roslyn on Long Island. She worked for President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Head Start” program in the 1960s. In 1966, she took a position at the Nassau County Attorney’s Office, becoming the first Black American to do so. She eventually worked as a community organizer for the Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County and taught children who were living in poverty. She remained consistently outspoken throughout the Reagan and Bush presidencies during the 1980s and into the 1990s. Dukes was an advocate for education reform and the advancement of civil rights.
Dukes was appointed president of the New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation (NYC OTB) in 1990, twenty-five years after she had been doing social work there. Dukes was appointed head of NYC OTB by New York City Mayor David Dinkins. Dukes received a Candace Award for Community Service from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women in 1990. In 2017, the Women’s Black Agenda presented her with its Economic and Business Award, as part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual conference. She was awarded the Empire State and Nation Builder Award by the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators, and was recognized by the New York State Senate in 2018. In 2019, a plaque honoring Dukes was placed on 137th Street and Adam Clayton Boulevard in Harlem.
Dukes died in Harlem, New York City on March 1, 2025, at the age of 92.
