Dr. Hazel Dukes Fellowship awarded to Albany professor; NCC instructor named to SUNY's Leadership Institute
Longtime NAACP president Hazel Dukes was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Village of Hempstead’s MLK Day celebration at Judea United Baptist Church in 2023. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Gov. Kathy Hochul has named an Albany professor to a fellowship honoring Long Island civil rights leader Hazel Dukes and a Nassau Community College professor as a director of residence.
The fellowship was created in 2024 to honor Dukes, the former president of the New York chapter of the NAACP, who moved from Montgomery, Alabama, to Roslyn Heights in her 20s.
Dukes died last year at the age of 92 while living in Manhattan. She was honored by local and state leaders for her work fighting for civil rights, including with a street renaming outside her Roslyn Heights home and honors by Hochul and former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
The fellowship is selected from SUNY alumni and "embodies the values, accomplishments, passion, and dedication to diversity, equity, and justice that defined Dr. Dukes’ career and life," Hochul said in a statement announcing the fellowship.
"Dr. Hazel Dukes was a tireless force in the fight for civil rights and equality in New York State," Hochul said. "She is dearly missed, and I am honored to pay tribute to her legacy through the recognition of this year’s fellow and ensure Dr. Dukes’ vital work continues to inspire New Yorkers for generations to come."
SUNY officials named Leonardo Falcón, an assistant professor of history at Nassau Community College, as the director in residence for SUNY's Leadership Institutes. Falcón also is the coordinator of Latin American studies for the college.
Falcón was selected during the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators’ annual conference.
This year’s Dukes fellow was given to DeeDee M. Bennett Gayle, an associate professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity at SUNY Albany.
After moving to Long Island in the 1950s, Dukes fought for equal rights, including suing for access to integrate an apartment complex.
She also directed the Roslyn Committee for Civil Rights and led protest marches for equality. She was arrested multiple times during protests spanning decades. Dukes was a former member of the SUNY board of trustees.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
