Opinion: Letitia James remembers the life of Hazel Dukes

With the passing of Hazel Nell Dukes, New York lost an incredible person, a beloved leader and a cherished mentor. Her list of accomplishments is endless, including serving as president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and president of the NAACP New York State Conference, but she was so much more than a collection of awards, honors and medals.

Those of us fortunate to know her as “Ma Dukes” were graced with a surrogate mother who offered us endless guidance, wisdom, counsel and love. Ma Dukes touched the lives of so many and inspired countless more to step up and work to make a positive change.

In 1966, she made history in New York when she became the first Black person to be hired by the Nassau County Attorney’s office. But Ma Dukes was no stranger to breaking barriers. She grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, in the same neighborhood as the great Rosa Parks. Her father was a member of the first all-Black labor union in the country. In the early 1960s, she was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to work on a brand-new early childhood education program that would make a difference for countless families nationwide: Head Start.

Ever since she was young, Ma Dukes knew a thing or two about being the first. After all, it was she who served as the first Black vice chair of the Nassau County Democratic Committee. And she was the one who stood proudly on stage at the Democratic National Convention in 1972 to second Shirley Chisholm’s candidacy for the party’s presidential nomination. She was the second woman to serve as the NAACP’s national president and led the New York chapter of the organization for nearly 50 years.

But what set her apart from so many was that when she shattered a glass ceiling, she didn’t just do it for herself. Ma Dukes knew that her shoulders were broad enough, and she was strong enough, for so many to stand on as they fought to reach higher still. It would have been easy for her to close the doors behind her, but that was not her way. She insisted on helping others so that they could step into their power and build on her accomplishments.

Injustice and Ma Dukes could not share the same space. Everything that she did, from the earliest days of her public service, through her decades guiding the NAACP, was to advance the cause of equality and justice. And, as a wise leader, she ensured that this fight would continue well beyond her time. She inspired so many other public servants to follow in her footsteps, to rise up against inequality wherever they saw it and to attain high office so that they might build a better future.

She often said she would like to be remembered as a helper, and nothing was more important to Ma Dukes than her community. As a community organizer with the Nassau County Economic Opportunity Commission, she coordinated child care, education and jobs training for the families who needed it most. She was an active member of Delta Sigma Theta and a proud member of The Links Inc. She was also a devoted and beloved member of the Assembly of Prayer Baptist Church, where she served her congregation as an executive assistant to the pastor, a member of the board of trustees and a Sunday school teacher for adults.

Despite her long list of accomplishments and accolades, Ma Dukes never slowed down or felt that her work was done. She knew that the cause of justice is a fight that must always be waged. She knew that by investing in students and young leaders, she could help build a better society that would go on and prosper for generations, even after her passing. There was a quiet wisdom to her boundless devotion to investing in young people. And we have seen the fruits of her labor, as she served as a mentor for generations of New York’s political and civic leaders.

She was a fierce leader, with an unbowed spine and nerves of steel. If she was displeased about something, Ma Dukes let you know. If she felt you could have handled things differently, Ma Dukes explained her thinking. And if she knew that you needed a guiding hand and an empathetic listener, Ma Dukes was there with all the wisdom and love in the world. That is how she inspired the respect and devotion that so many of us will always have for her. She earned it, and so much more.

New York lost a giant with her passing. So many of us, myself included, lost a surrogate mother, a valued adviser and a treasured mentor. But Ma Dukes’ legacy will forever live on in all of us as we continue to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, and fight for a more just and equitable future. She was often the first, but in her memory, let us all pledge that she will not be the last.

May she rest in power and peace.