Both Dunnigan and Payne made a big impression as White House reporters. They became known for peppering President Eisenhower with questions about civil rights, a topic that other White House reporters ignored. Eisenhower, in turn, eventually started ignoring the two women as well.

The uneasy relationship with the Eisenhower administration did not deter either journalist. Though shut out by Eisenhower, Dunnigan found a better reception from the next president, John F. Kennedy, who was so impressed by her that he hired her as an educational consultant. She went on to serve in a variety of advisory roles on youth, employment and education in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.

Payne’s presence in Washington, D.C., earned her the nickname “the First Lady of the Black Press.” In addition to tough coverage of the White House, Payne extensively covered the Civil Rights Movement and also reported from Africa multiple times in her career. In 1972, Payne was hired by CBS News, becoming the first Black woman to serve as a political commentator for a major television network.

Dunning died in 1983 after publishing two books including an autobiography A Black Woman’s Experience: From Schoolhouse to White House. Payne, who received multiple journalism awards and recognitions later in life, passed away in 1991. With the new White House Correspondents Association award named in their honor, both women’s legacies will continue to live on.

Ethel Payne

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