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Vernon Dobson

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[1]Reverend Vernon Nathaniel Dobson (October 29, 1923 – January 26, 2013)[2] was a Baptist minister and civil rights activist in Baltimore, Maryland.

Early years

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Vernon Dobson, the son of Rev. Spencer Dobson and Mrs. Estelle Cook Dobson,[2] was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Booker T. Washington Middle School and graduated from Frederick Douglass Senior High School in 1941.[3] He attended Howard University and earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree.[2] He also studied at Harvard University. He had four brothers—Rev. Harold Dobson, Spencer G. Dobson, Jr., Irvin Dobson, and David C. Dobson—and one sister, Anne Dobson.[4] Rev. Vernon Dobson was married to his wife, Napoleon B. Dobson, for over 60 years. They have six children together.[5]

Ministry

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In 1958 Dobson was named assistant pastor of Union Baptist Church in Baltimore. He became the pastor of Union Baptist Church in 1963, and served in that role for 39 years.[6] His predecessor, Rev. Harvey Johnson, was present at the founding of the Niagara Movement and of the NAACP.[7] Dobson was twice elected the president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance in Baltimore.[2]

Civil Rights activism

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In 1963 Dobson was one of the many community activists who attempted to integrate Gwynn Oak Amusement Park.[8] In 1998, The Baltimore Sun published for the first time the names of all the people arrested during the protests, and Dobson's name was found on the list.[5] Their demonstration against the park was organized by the Congress of Racial Equality. Dobson was a member of the self-titled "Goon Squad," a group of Baltimore-based ministers and lawyers who advocated for civil rights. In 1967 they sought the reinstatement of Joseph C. Howard Sr., a prosecutor who had exposed Baltimore's unequal treatment of rape victims based on their race.[9]

In 1968 Dobson founded the Union Baptist Church Head Start Program.[10] He was one of the founders of Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD) in 1977.[2][11]

Reverend Dobson worked with many of the legendary civil rights activists of Baltimore, including Walter P. Carter, Parren J. Mitchell, Rev. Marion Bascom[12] of Douglass Memorial Community Church, Sampson "Sam" Green, Rev. Wendell H. Phillips of Heritage United Church of Christ,[13] Chester Wickwire, and Samuel T. Daniels, Sr. of the Prince Hall Masons.[14][15]

Dobson's brother, Rev. Harold Dobson, was the first president of Baltimore's branch of Opportunities Industrialization Center, (OIC).[16] OIC was founded in Philadelphia by Rev. Leon Sullivan.

Dobson was the co-host of Look At It This Way, a community affairs television show on WBAL-TV in Baltimore. Co-hosts included Samuel Thornton Daniels, Sr. and Homer Favor.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Duncan, Ian. "Vernon Dobson, Civil Rights Leader". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e "The HistoryMakers". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  3. ^ Brown, Mandela. "Douglass High School". Keep On Movin' Toward Freedom: The "Free" State's Struggle With Equality. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  4. ^ "The Rev. Harold L. Dobson Sr., 74, pastor, champion for youth". Baltimore Sun. Articles.baltimoresun.com. January 10, 2000. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Duncan, Ian. "Vernon Dobson, Civil Rights Leader". Baltimore Sun.
  6. ^ Rasmussen, Frederick N. (January 19, 2008). "Whatever Happened to...? Rev. Vernon N. Dobson". Baltimore Sun. Articles.baltimoresun.com. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  7. ^ Ackerman, Karen L. T (2004). The African American experience : personal and social activism in the 19th and 20th centuries. Bowie, Md: Heritage Books. ISBN 978-0-7884-2510-3.
  8. ^ "Nation: March on Gwynn Oak Park". Time. July 12, 1963. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012.
  9. ^ "The Last Tycoon: Love Him or Hate Him, Peter Angelos Holds the Key to Downtown's Future". Baltimore City Paper. Citypaper.com. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  10. ^ "Child Care". Unionbaptistbalt.org. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  11. ^ "Victories & History: BUILD Baltimore". Buildiaf.org. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  12. ^ "The HistoryMakers". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  13. ^ "Heritage United Church of Christ – Home". Heritageucc.org. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  14. ^ "Samuel T Daniels | Samuel T. Daniels, 84, leader in local civil rights struggle - Baltimore Sun". Articles.baltimoresun.com. 2005-01-07. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  15. ^ "Congressional Record, Volume 151 Issue 26 (Tuesday, March 8, 2005)". Gpo.gov. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  16. ^ Mills, Barbara (2002). Got My Mind Set on Freedom: Maryland's Story of Black & White Activism, 1663-2000. Bowie, Md: Heritage Books. ISBN 978-0-7884-2268-3.
  17. ^ "Archived copy". marchfh.lifefiles.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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