Ofield dukes biography channel 7

It seems the most talented professionals tend to say the least about themselves. One such professional is African American public relations legend Ofield Dukes. His pioneering work in communications, during some of the most racially charged years in America, places him in an elite class of public relations founders.

Ofield Dukes passed away on December 7, This life oral history interview with Ofield Dukes was conducted by Julieanna L. Richardson on May 31, , in Washington, District of .

Sincere, hard-working and humble are characteristics of this man who advised countless leaders and helped others. Dukes was born in , in Alabama. His parents were cotton share croppers. He said he and his sister collected sticks on their way to the black schoolhouse to help heat the one-room building. He died in at the age of After serving in Korea with the U.

In , he graduated with a degree in journalism, and became a reporter at the Michigan Chronicle , an African American newspaper. In the mids, Dukes moved to Washington, D. In , he opened Ofield Dukes and Associates, where he worked the remainder of his career.

Described by many as one of the industry’s most influential public relations practitioners, the DC Chapter of the Black Public Relations Society (BPRS-DC) mourns the .

He specialized in political and minority affairs. Dukes had legendary clients including author Alex Haley and Motown Records. He also worked to organize the national holiday honoring Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.