Osceola McKaine
Osceola Enoch McKaine(December 18, 1892 – November 17, 1955) was an American public speaker, businessman,civil rightsactivistand political candidate.[1]He was a candidate forUS Senatein 1944 as part of a Black-led splinter challenge to theDemocratic Party.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]McKaine was born inSumter,South Carolina.[2]: 358 He had a half-brother, Ansley Abraham.[3]He graduated fromLincoln Graded Schoolin 1908.[1]
Career
[edit]After working as amerchant marine,he served in the US Army's 24th Infantry then its 367th Infantry[2]duringWorld War I,traveling to thePhilippines,MexicoandFrance,earning the rank of lieutenant.[3]He returned to the US and resided in New York City, where he was "a leading voice and an organizing force"[2]: 358 for theLeague for Democracy(LFD), a militant organization of black veterans.[4]making public speeches and working as editor of its newspaper,New York Commoner.[2]: 358–59
McKaine relocated toGhent,Belgium,and owned and operated a supper club / nightclub[3]with a partner. Because of World War II, he returned to his hometown, Sumter, South Carolina, where he headed the local branch of theNAACP.[4]
He conducted a survey to report the disparity of white and black teachers' salaries.[3]He continued to find ways to reduce the unfairness of the disparity which resulted in legal actions that involvedThurgood Marshall.[5]
McKaine was an associate editor of theLighthouse and Informer,a black newspaper. He was the candidate for US Senate for the offshoot political party, theProgressive Democratic Party(organized by McKaine andLighthouse and Informer''s John McCray),[5]making him the first black candidate to run for statewide office sinceReconstruction.[3]Though unsuccessful against the state's sitting governorOlin Johnston,the candidacy brought attention to the black vote,[3]boosting black voter rolls during the 1940s from 3,500 to 50,000 people.[5]
He was involved in other organizations such as theSouthern Negro Youth Congress(SNYC) and theSouthern Conference of Human Welfare(SCHW)—its first (and only) black field representative.[6]
McKaine returned to Belgium to his supper club work afterWorld War II.
Personal life
[edit]McKaine spoke four languages.[3]
He died inBrussels,Belgium, at age 62[3]and was buried in his hometown, Sumter, South Carolina, at Walker Cemetery.
References
[edit]- ^abRichards, Miles S. (2016)."Osceola Enoch McKaine".scencyclopedia.org.RetrievedFebruary 16,2021.
- ^abcdeWilliams, Chad L. (Summer 2007). "Vanguards of the New Negro: African American Veterans and Post-World War I Racial Militancy".The Journal of African American History.92(3). Association for the Study of African American Life and History: 347–370.doi:10.1086/JAAHv92n3p347.JSTOR20064204.S2CID141434030.
- ^abcdefghMalloy, Daniel (May 7, 2017)."When a Black Man Ran for Senate in the South...in 1944".OZY.com.RetrievedFebruary 16,2021.
- ^abWilliams, Chad L. (July–August 2012). "Impertinent Questions with Chad L. Williams".Humanities.33(4). Interviewed by Meredith Hindley.
- ^abcSullivan, Patricia (1988)."Henry Wallace's Campaign Foreshadowed the Movement as Well as the Rainbow".Southern Changes.10(5). Emory University: 11, 16–17.RetrievedFebruary 16,2021.
- ^Reed, Linda (1994).Simple Decency & Common Sense: The Southern Conference Movement, 1938–1963.Bloomington: University of Indiana Press. pp. XXII, 104.ISBN9780253209122.