SUNY Social justice fellowship to honor Long Island's Hazel Dukes

The legacy of a civil rights activist who fought housing discrimination on Long Island will carry on through the creation of a new SUNY fellowship for social justice-minded students, Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced.

The Dr. Hazel Dukes Fellowship, established by the SUNY Black Leadership Institute in honor of Hazel Nell Dukes, 91, president of the NAACP New York State Conference, and former Roslyn Heights resident, will honor one student each cycle who embodies the values and “cause of diversity, equity and justice that have defined Dr. Dukes’ career and life,” Hochul's statement said.

The institute, a program consisting of an annual cohort of SUNY employees, was established as a part of Hochul’s 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,” the statement said.

Additionally, Dukes will be honored as the subject of SUNY’s next portrait competition for students and alumni, and the winning portrait will be displayed in the H. Carl McCall SUNY building in Albany.

“For her entire career, Dr. Hazel Dukes has been an unrelenting force in the fight for civil rights and equality in New York State,” Hochul said at the 53rd annual conference of the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators in Albany on Sunday. “Through this fellowship and portrait, we are honoring the legacy of Dr. Dukes and ensuring her critical work is enshrined for generations to come.”

Dukes, a native of Alabama, moved to Roslyn in 1956, where she combated housing discrimination and eventually helped elect the first Black member of the Roslyn school board as well as Long Island’s first Black state representative, Assemb. Barbara Patton, (D-Freeport) according to her NAACP biography. 

She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Adelphi University in Garden City, and completed postgraduate work at Queens College.  

In addition to her current position, Dukes has received numerous honors in her lifetime, and is a member of the NAACP National Board of Directors, a member of the NAACP Executive Committee, and as an active member of various NAACP board subcommittees.

Last March, she was honored in a street-naming ceremony by the Town of North Hempstead on the day after her 91st birthday.

In August, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented Dukes with the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP's highest honor.

Assemb. Kimberly Jean-Pierre (D-Wheatley Heights) said she was proud to push for the creation of a Black Leadership Institute, and that Duke’s accomplishments make her more than a prime candidate for the fellowship’s namesake.

“Dr. Hazel N. Dukes is a dynamic leader who has been a tireless advocate for equity and justice in New York State and across the country,” said Jean-Pierre. “It is very fitting to name a fellowship in her honor and my expectation is that fellows who follow in Dr. Dukes' footsteps will continue the fight to improve diversity.”