“RACE AND SEX WERE TWIN

STRIKES AGAINST ME. I’M

NOT SURE WHICH WAS THE
HARDEST TO BREAKDOWN.”

ALICE Alice was the first African-

ALLISON
American female White House correspondent as well as the
first African-American
female member of the Senate and House of Representatives

DUNNIGAN
press galleries.

BACKGROUND
Born: April 27th, 1906 in Russellville, Kentucky
Born to tobacco farmer and washwoman and
granddaughter of former slaves
Began attending school one day a week at age
four and began reading before first grade
Began writing for “Owensboro Enterprise”,
one of few African-American newspapers in
Kentucky at the time
Graduate from Knob City High School in
Frankfort she attended Kentucky Normal and
Industrial Institute (now Kentucky State
University)
Married a tobacco farmer in 1925 and divorced
in 1930
Remarried in 1932, had one child, and
separated her husband in 1953
CAREER
Taught in Kentucky public schools from 1924- 1942
and supplemented student required text with
Kentucky black history fact sheets
Cleaned gravestones, houses, and doing laundry
for money during summers
Worked as a federal employee as a newspaper
woman while attending Howard University
Began writing for "The Chicago Defender" full-time
in 1946 as a Washington correspondent
She worked other writing jobs during this, as she
maid much less than her counterparts starting off
A year later was name bureau chief of the ANP (the
first black news wire service)
Became the first African-American Woman White
House correspondent in 1948 as well as the first
black woman elected to the Women's National
Press Club

TIMELINE

1924 1936 1942 1946 1947

1906
Becomes a teacher in Becomes a freelance Moves to Washington Begins full-time Gains a capitol
Born in Russellville, press pass
Kentucky, supplements writer for the D.C. after a call for work for ANP
Kentucky
texts with Kentuckian Chicago Branch of government jobs during writing for "The
black history fact sheets the ANP the war. Becomes a Chicago
successful newspaper Defender"
woman.

1948 1953 1960 1967 1974, 1982 1983

1 of 3 African- Barred from covering a Leaves ANP for a full-time Becomes an associate Releases A Black Dies in
Americans and 1 of 2 speech by President position covering Lyndon editor with the President's Woman’s Experience: Washington D.C.
women in press corps Eisenhower in a whites- B. Johnson's campaign. Commission on Youth From Schoolhouse to at age 77
to cover President only theater. Forced to Went on to work for him in Opportunity White House and The
Truman's campaign sit with servants cover his term as Vice President Fascinating Story of
Senator Taft's funeral and during his Black Kentuckian
administration.