Alice Allison Dunnigan
By
John C Abercrombie
The life work of Alice Allison Dunnigan
Alice Allison Dunnigan is a pioneer in journalism and became the first Black female correspondent to receive White House credentials. She was also the first Black female member of the United States Senate and House of Representatives press galleries.
Early Life
Dunnigan was born Alice Allison on April 27, 1906 near Russellville, Kentucky to Willie Allison, a sharecropper and Lena Allison who worked by taking in laundry. She and her brother Russell were raised in a strict household that placed a strong emphasis on work ethic and moral training.
Living in a rural area, with few neighborhood kids, she had few friends as a child. An eager learner, she started attending school 1 day per week at the age of 4 and had learned to read by the time she entered 1st grade.
Rosenwald Schools and the Education of Blacks
The school that she attended was a Rosenwald School. This was a project of schools, shops and teachers’ homes built for the education of Black children.
The Rosenwald project was undertaken because of the chronic underfunding of public education for Black children by local governments, that excluded Black representatives and therefore any input of or concern for the Black community.
Over 5,000 Rosenwald schools were established, thus many Blacks received an education because of the benevolence of the Rosenwald schools.
Realization of a dream
As she demonstrated a love of learning and setting goals, she realized one of her dreams at an early age. Her dream was to experience the world through the life of a newspaper reporter and she achieved this by writing for the Owensboro Enterprise, a Black Newspaper, at the age of 13.
Alice was an eager learner and in addition to regular school, walked 4 miles to Sunday School where she was inspired by her Sunday School teacher, Arleta Vaughn. Due to the times and segregated life in rural Kentucky, there were basically only 3 choices of employment for Black women, 1. Domestic Work (housekeeping), 2. Field Work or 3. becoming a Teacher.
Dunnigan worked hard and became the valedictorian of her High School class.
Becoming a Teacher
After high school, she attended Kentucky Normal and industrial Institute. After graduation, she taught Kentucky History in the segregated schools of the Todd County School System.
Because of the absence of Black contributions in the curriculum, she started to prepare Kentucky Fact Sheets to supplement the required text.
These Kentucky Fact Sheets were collected and formed into a manuscript in 1939. Although these papers presented the significant achievements of a largely ignored segment of the community, no publisher was willing to publish them until the Associated Press published them in 1982, when they were published as “The fascinating Story of Black Kentuckians: The Heritage and Tradition”.
Black Codes and Jim Crow
She also chronicled the decline of Jim Crow during the 1940’s and 50’
Jim Crow laws were an extension of the Black Codes. Black Codes were enacted right after the Civil War with the intent of restricting the freedom of Blacks and forcing them to the lower paying, labor intensive jobs in society.
Jim Crow laws were mostly state and local laws that enforced segregation. They are mostly associated with the South and the states of the Confederacy but were not confined to the South. These laws mandated racial segregation in public facilities. These laws were upheld in the famous Supreme Court case of Plessey v Ferguson in 1896 which upheld the doctrine of “Sperate but Equal”.
Separate but Equal allowed for separate water fountains, separate restrooms for Black and White, Blacks not allowed to sit in the front half of the bus, not being allowed to buy houses in White neighborhoods, or even go to school with Whites. This was magnified by the fact that segregated schools were not equally funded with Black schools being funded at rates that were often 10 to 50% that of White Schools.
Facilities for Blacks were consistently inferior and in many unthinkable cases there were no facilities. Often stores and other facilities open to the public had no restrooms for Blacks, Restaurants would refuse service. At restaurants where all of the food was take out, Blacks were often forced to go to the back door to receive their food.
Dunnigan once tried to buy a Coca Cola to use to take an aspirin and was denied it because the drug store refused to sell the drink to Black people.
These and many other laws and practices were a collection of egregious actions that negatively impacted the ability of Blacks to take advantage of “The American Dream”.
Separate but Equal
The horrendous decision of Plessey v Ferguson was not overturned until the 1954 decision of Brown v Board of Education of Topeka (Kansas). This landmark case declared state laws that established separate public schools to be unconstitutional.
In addition to racial discrimination, Dunnigan as many other women also had to deal with gender discrimination. She therefore had to take menial jobs during the summer when school was out. She worked washing tombstones in a white cemetery, also working 4 hours a day in a dairy, cleaning house for a family, while doing laundry at night for another family, earning a total of about $7.00 per week.
Also consider that it was not until the mid to late 1940’s, in many cases, that Black teachers earned the same as Whites despite having larger classes, limited resources and inferior physical buildings to work in.
Seeking a better life
Because of the harsh working conditions, and poor pay she faced while teaching, Dunnigan heeded a call for government workers in 1942 and moved to Washington, D.C. seeking better pay.
Dunnigan worked for the government from 1942 to 1946 and took night courses Howard University a HBCU (historically Black College and University). In 1946 she was offered a writing job for the Chicago Defender, a Black newspaper.
The Importance of the Black Press
Black newspapers were necessary as White newspapers did not publish information that was positive about the Black community. Most of the White newspapers would not publish the obituaries of Black people on the obituary pages.
Dunnigan progressed from writing for the Owensboro Enterprise to the Washington bureau of the Associated Negro Press in 1947. At the Associated Negro Press, she served as the Washington Bureau chief from 1947 to 1961. During her time with the bureau, she was also a member of the Senate and house of Representatives press galleries and in 1948 became a White House correspondent, the first Black Female to hold the position.
In 1961, she was named as education consultant to the President’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, starting during the Kennedy Administration. From 1967 to 1970, she was an associate editor with the Presidents Commission on Youth Opportunity.
During her career as a journalist, she was faced with many blatant and degrading acts of racism. She covered Congressional hearings where Blacks were openly called the vilest names, including the N-word. She was barred from covering speeches when they were held in Whites-only locations. She was not allowed to sit with the press to cover Senator Robert A Taft’s funeral.
At Taft’s funeral she had to sit in a seat in the servant’s section. Many politicians avoided answering her questions. Her questions were well prepared and were difficult to answer since they often involved race issues, which politicians are fearful of dealing with. When Eisenhower became president, he would not call on her. Later she was required to submit her questions in advance, the only reporter required to do so.
Later life
After her days of political reporting, Alice Dunnigan returned to writing, writing her autobiography “A Black Woman’s Experience: From Schoolhouse to White House. This work was published in 1974.
A new annotated edition of her autobiography was published February 2015 entitled “Alone atop of the Hill; The Autobiography of Alice Dunnigan, Pioneer of the National Black Press.
Dunnigan was recognized for her work in journalism, receiving more than 50 journalism awards.
In Memoriam
Dunnigan died May 6, 1983. She has asked us to “Judge me not by the heights to which I rise, but the depths from which I rise”. This is a tribute to her entire life’s journey and one we need to ponder in depth.
A full-size statue of Dunnigan has been cast and will be on permanent display in Russellville, Kentucky starting in 2019. It is currently at the Newseum.
The Newseum an interactive museum that highlights the importance of a free press and Americans’ constitutional right to a free expression. It is located on Pennsylvania Ave, near the White House, will display a life size bronze statue from September 21 through December 16, 2018 as a tribute to Dunnigan.
The statue was created by a Kentucky sculptor Amanda Matthews. The statue is being cast by a Lexington Kentucky firm The Prometheus Foundry. The permanent location of the statue will be the grounds of the West Kentucky African American Heritage Center, a park dedicated to the civil rights movement in Russellville, Kentucky.
Quote by author of book about Dunnigan “judge me not by the heights to which I rise, but the depths from which I rise”
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Amazing Black History
Enrich your learning experience with some amazing resources, books, value offers and videos. All below.
Alice Allison Dunnigan was dedicated to the education of people. In keeping with that, you may find the offer below exciting. It offers the opportunity to explore many books of many genre. Please note that it is not necessary to have a Kindle device to enjoy the benefits of having a complete library at your fingertips. A free app that allows you to enjoy and inform yourself can be downloaded to your phone, tablet, computer or other device.
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The following is the book by Carol McCabe Booker about Alice Allison Dunnigan.
In 1942 Alice Allison Dunnigan, a sharecropper’s daughter from Kentucky, made her way to the nation’s capital and a career in journalism that eventually led her to the White House. With Alone atop the Hill, Carol McCabe Booker has condensed Dunnigan’s 1974 self-published autobiography to appeal to a general audience and has added scholarly annotations that provide historical context. Dunnigan’s dynamic story reveals her importance to the fields of journalism, women’s history, and the civil rights movement and creates a compelling portrait of a groundbreaking American.
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Gifts to reward your scholar or for anyone for any occasion. Amazon Gift cards are wonderful for any occasion.
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The following offer is for the serious student or organization because of the price.
ABH – A Black Womas Experience
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The following book is not about Alice Dunnigan, but is of another struggling with the fight to add perspective to the news of the day. Dorothy Butler Gilliam was the first black woman reporter at the Washington Post. She shares her story and her quest to make the media look more like America.
Dorothy Butler Gilliam, whose 50-year-career as a journalist put her in the forefront of the fight for social justice, offers a comprehensive view of racial relations and the media in the US.
Most civil rights victories are achieved behind the scenes, and this riveting, beautifully written memoir by a “Black first” looks back with searing insight on the decades of struggle, friendship, courage, humor, and savvy that secured what seems commonplace today – people of color working in mainstream media.
Told with a pioneering newspaper writer’s charm and skill, Gilliam’s full, fascinating life weaves her personal and professional experiences and media history into an engrossing tapestry. When we read about the death of her father and other formative events of her life, we glimpse the crippling impact of the segregated South before the civil rights movement when slavery’s legacy still felt astonishingly close. We root for her as a wife, mother, and ambitious professional as she seizes once-in-a-lifetime opportunities never meant for a “dark-skinned woman” and builds a distinguished career. We gain a comprehensive view of how the media, especially newspapers, affected the movement for equal rights in this country. And in this humble, moving memoir, we see how an innovative and respected journalist and working mother helped provide opportunities for others.
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People who find these stories inspirational also have the fortitude to be leaders and business innovators. You will find the following offer of great interest and value to you!
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Again, this item is for the serious student because of the price
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Amazing videos about the remarkable Alice Dunnigan
The following video is a discussion of the book “Alone Atop the Hill: The Autobiography of Alice Dunnigan, Pioneer of the National Black Press” Author of the book on Alice Dunnigan is Carol McCabe Booker, wife of Simeon Booker, Jr. – well known Black journalist
News announcement of the tribute and statue of Alice Dunnigan
Short but catchy, this video is filled with information that you may want to pause and read.
Short, but good. This video was made at the Newseum, an interactive museum located near the White House.
A delightful video featuring:
- Carol McCabe Booker Author of the updated book on Alice Allison Dunnigan,
- Amanda Matthews, sculptor of the bronze statue of Allison Dunnigan,
- Soraya Dunnigan Brandon, granddaughter of Alice Allison Dunnigan,
- Sonya Ross, with the Associated Press, Moderator and also a White House Reporter.
Ross is the person who nominated Dunnigan for the honor.
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Again we see the determination that has allowed dedicated people to bring OUR story to the masses. A true hero.
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