After retiring, she self published her 1974 autobiography, a black woman’s experience: from schoolhouse to white house. dunnigan died at age 77 in 1983, but her legacy lives on. in 2013, she was. Known for. first black journalist to cover the white house [ 1] alice allison dunnigan (april 27, 1906 – may 6, 1983) [ 2] was an american journalist, civil rights activist and author. [ 3][ 4] dunnigan was the first african american female correspondent to receive white house credentials, [ 5] and the first black female member of the senate.
The first black female white house reporter held the powerful accountable on civil rights it was rare to be a woman or african american covering the white house in the 1940s. alice dunnigan was both. Dunnigan was the only black reporter and the only female one, which at times made her a target. when the train stopped in cheyenne, wyoming, a military official attempted to rip dunnigan away from the other reporters, believing her to be a bystander despite her press badge telling him otherwise. her identity had to be proven by a fellow white. Okay, i know she isn’t a household name now but there was a time when she was a significant journalist, most notably as the first african american woman credentialed to cover the white house. Alice allison dunnigan was the first african american female correspondent at the white house and the first black female member of the senate and house of representatives press galleries. during her time as a reporter, she became the first black journalist to accompany a president while traveling, covering harry s. truman’s 1948 campaign trip.
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