Roscoe Dunjee

Roscoe Dunjee (1883–1965) was an American civil rights activist, journalist, and editor. He had an prominent role is advancing racial integration in housing, university admission, fair jury selection, transportation, anti-lynching, education, and public accommodations ^[1]

Early life

Dunjee was born June 21, 1883 in Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County, West Virginia.^[1] to Reverend John William and Lydia Ann Dunjee.^[2] His family later migrated to Oklahoma.

Career

Dunjee completed his post-secondary education the historically black Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma.^[2] He founded his own newspaper, the Black Dispatch in 1915^[1] which he used as a medium to fight against segregation and unfair treatment of blacks. The newspaper grew from a local publication to a national publication and at one point boasted nearly 20,000 subscribers. Dunjee would regularly report of the violent lynching's of unsuspecting black victims in Texas and Oklahoma.

He also focused on fighting against voting laws that prohibited or constrained black voters from the polls. His efforts helped to set precedents in federal courts by lawyers in the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). One of the most prominent cases was that of Jess Hollins. Jess Hollins was a black man that was unjustly convicted of a crime by a predominately-white jury. Dunjee sprang into action reporting of this grave miscarriage of the law which as significant in instigating Hollins acquittal. John Hollins was indeed acquitted due to the purposeful exclusion of blacks on the jury.^[2]

In 1916 the Oklahoma Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance that forbid black residents from moving into a house where the block was 75% occupied by white residents. Dunjee funded the endeavors of several black residents who were attempting to integrate areas not zoned for black residents. One specific example was that of William Floyd, a black shoemaker that purchased a home in a predominately-white neighborhood. Floyd was incarcerated four times for attempting to occupy his newly purchased home. Dunjee bailed Floyd out each time and encouraged him to stand his ground and return to the home, subsequently Floyd won his case. A judge ruled the ordinance unconstitutional based on a Supreme Court ruling in 1916 that declared the racist housing ordinance unconstitutional.^[3]

Dunjee was active in the NAACP, the Oklahoma Youth Legislature, the National Negro Democratic Association, and the Negro Business League.^[2] He played a vital role in desegregating Oklahoma State University in 1948 (Rummel).

Dunjee never married,^[4] nor had any children. Heworked at his news publication until his death in 1965; he was inducted to the Oklahoma Journalist Hall of Fame at Central State University posthumously in 1969^[1]

References