Civil Rights icon Hazel Dukes, the NAACP’s New York State Conference president, has died. She was 92.
Her son Ronald Dukes confirmed her passing to Amsterdam News.
Her death saddened local elected officials and community activists who worked with Dukes over the years.
“A great pioneer and warrior for social and racial justice, Hazel Dukes was my champion for as long as I can remember and close to all of us in the Cuomo family,” former Gov. Andrew Cuomo wrote on X. “America has lost one of the greats.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had just spoken to Dukes, who he described as a “true friend” on Thursday.
“She was a force of nature for justice and an activist of the highest order,” Sharpton said in a statement. “She made a difference, and we will forever be indebted to her.”
“We will never have another Hazel Dukes, but I am grateful that we had this one,” he said.
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