Memorial services for Dr. Hazel Dukes set to begin in Harlem
A public viewing will be held at 7 p.m. at the Mother AME Zion Church. A second viewing will take place at 9 a.m. Wednesday, followed by her funeral at 10:30 a.m.
Dukes, known to many as "Ma Dukes," was president of the New York NAACP for nearly five decades and fought tirelessly for voting rights, fair housing and education.
She was born in Montgomery, Alabama – the birthplace of the civil rights movement – then moved to Roslyn in North Hempstead, Long Island, where she became the first Black woman to work for the Nassau County attorney's office. She was one of the few women to serve as national president of the NAACP, and presided over its New York Conference starting in 1977.
Dukes remained active in politics until her death, administering the oath of office when Gov. Kathy Hochul was sworn in as the first woman elected governor of New York in 2023, and supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
She died on March 1 at the age of 92.
"Mom was a committed civil rights leader in New York City and the nation and worked tirelessly on the frontlines almost to the end. We find comfort in knowing that while she's no longer with us physically, but resting in the bosom of Jesus," her son, Ronald Dukes, said in a statement.
"She was a force of nature for justice and an activist of the highest order. She made a difference, and we will forever be indebted to her," said Rev. Al Sharpton, adding, "We will never have another Hazel Dukes, but I am grateful that we had this one."
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