NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A longtime activist for the rights of needy families in Southern Nevada, Ruby Duncan, has passed away. She was 93 years old.
The City of North Las Vegas shared a message about Duncan's passing on Sunday, describing Duncan as "a giant of advocacy and justice, who worked tirelessly to better the lives of working Nevadans."
"Her impact is felt today throughout Southern Nevada through assistance and support for women and children and the addition of community resources to the Historic Westside," North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown stated.
In a 2024 interview with Good Morning, Las Vegas anchor Anjali Patel, Duncan reflected on her activism and decades of effort to stand up for local low-income families.
Duncan's activism began when an on-the-job injury put her out of work and she soon found herself on welfare. "I did not want to be on welfare," Duncan said. "I hated it."
When she got together with other mothers in a similar situation, inequities became clear, and Duncan stepped up — gathering, organizing, and agitating. Duncan went on to organize and lead protests on the Las Vegas Strip that would be pivotal in Nevada's eventual acceptance of social welfare programs for families in need — and single mothers, in particular.
WATCH | Anjali Patel reports on Ruby Duncan's lasting impact on Southern Nevada:
She also went on to start the nonprofit organization Operation Life, which brought the Historic Westside its first library, a health clinic, employment and housing aid, among other resources.
Duncan has an elementary school named after her in North Las Vegas, as well as a street named for her at UnCommons in the southwest valley.
In our 2024 interview, Duncan urged people to exercise the right to vote and to stand up against injustice: "Don't give up. Never, never say, 'I can't,'" she said.
In her statement on Duncan's passing, Mayor Goynes-Brown thanked Duncan for her years of advocacy and activism.
"I extend my deepest condolences to her family and to all who were touched by her," she stated.
"I also extend my gratitude to Ruby for showing us all what it means to stand up and advocate for others. Her legacy of justice and compassion will continue to be taught to generations of North Las Vegas students at Ruby Duncan Elementary School. Thank you, Ruby."
