[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 16 (Wednesday, February 1, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E107-E108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MR. OFIELD DUKES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2012

  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with Chairman 
Emanuel Cleaver II and my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, 
CBC, to honor the extraordinary life of Mr. Ofield Dukes. A 
trailblazing public relations titan known far beyond the communications 
world, Ofield Dukes will be remembered as a civil rights champion, an 
inspiring educator, a skilled mentor, and a trusted advisor to the 
world's most prominent leaders. With his passing on December 7, 2011, 
we look to Mr. Ofield Dukes' political legacy and the outstanding 
quality of his life's work.
  Born in Rutledge, Alabama, Mr. Dukes graduated with a degree in 
journalism from Wayne State University after having been a journalist 
while serving in the United States Army during the Korean War. He soon 
made a name for himself as an award-winning writer for the Michigan 
Chronicle and, in 1964, Mr. Dukes was hired as Deputy Director of 
Information for President Lyndon Johnson's Committee on Equal 
Employment Opportunity. Within two years, he had become communications 
adviser to Vice President Hubert Humphrey. In 1969, Dukes founded 
Ofield Dukes and Associates (ODA), one of the most enduring and 
successful public relations firms in the country, specializing in 
minority, African-American, African, and political affairs. ODA 
elevated the profiles of artists, business people, students, Civil 
Rights heroes, Members of Congress and Presidents, alike.
  During an era still marred by the scourge of racism and segregation, 
Mr. Dukes utilized brilliant public relations strategies to galvanize 
support for the Civil Rights movement and to get out the vote in the 
African-American community after the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 
Moreover, without his tireless work, the CBC would not be ``the 
conscience of the Congress'' it is today. He was the organizer of the 
first CBC dinner, and a CBC Foundation Board member for 14 years. His 
vast political experience and guidance helped expand the CBC from its 
original 13 Members of Congress in 1971 to 43 Members today.
  Mr. Dukes also orchestrated the 1981 national march on Washington, 
D.C. to make the birth date of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a national 
holiday.
  Furthermore, Mr. Dukes brought the wealth of his experience to the 
classroom, spending over twenty years as a professor at Howard 
University and nearly a decade at American University. It was there 
that he instilled young minds with the powerful public relations tools 
necessary to create new generations of social justice. Renowned for his 
professionalism, teaching prowess and strong sense of loyalty, Ofield 
Dukes encouraged hundreds of African-American students to enter the 
field of public relations. He was a gatekeeper for African-American 
reporters needing access to the White House for every Democratic 
administration since the 1960s, a founding member of the Black Public 
Relations Society of Washington, D.C., and the first African American 
to receive the Public Relations Society of America's Gold Anvil, the 
industry's highest honor.

[[Page E108]]

  For over four decades, Ofield Dukes' career and influence spanned CBC 
milestones ranging from their boycott of President Nixon's State of the 
Union address to demand White House recognition in 1971 to his articles 
celebrating the CBC's 40th anniversary in 2011, under the historic 
leadership of President Barack Obama. He was a friend to the CBC every 
step of the way, and the Congressional Black Caucus could not have 
asked for better guidance and company.
  Therefore, the Congressional Black Caucus salutes and honors the life 
of this outstanding man, while mourning the loss of an incredible 
partner in the pursuit of justice and equality. The great Ofield Dukes 
and his masterful contributions to the success of progressive and 
talented leaders throughout the world have helped to change the course 
of history. His legacy and light will forever live on, and he will be 
deeply missed.

                          ____________________