New York honors Dr. Hazel Dukes with new SUNY fellowship named after her
NEW YORK - A longtime New York civil rights activist is being honored in a special way.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the creation of the Dr. Hazel Dukes Fellowship.
Dukes, 91, is president of the NAACP New York state conference, and a former Long Island resident who has fought housing discrimination for decades.
The new SUNY fellowship will be awarded each year to a student who embodies the values that have defined Dukes' career and life.
"It's just a legacy that I don't think I could for ask for anything more important than this. And I hope to meet the first cohort of Hazel Dukes fellows in March," Dukes said.
The fellowship program will begin in March, and is aimed at identifying and fostering current and emerging leaders who share her passion in advancing civil rights.