I held my dear friend, Dr. Roscoe C.
Brown, Jr. in such high esteem that I referred to him as ‘The Fighter
Pilot’ for the duration of our friendship, which spanned more than 60
years. By age 22, Roscoe was a Captain in command of the 100th Fighter
Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group of Tuskegee Airmen. He was the very
first of their ranks to actually shoot down a German bomber while escorting
American bombers in WWII. I remain in awe of how difficult doing
something like that must have been from the cockpit of a prop-plane, his famous
P51. Roscoe had tremendous courage and grit, along with grace, loyalty, and
humor. He has always been one of my heroes and I was beyond proud to call
him friend and brother.
The Tuskegee Airmen received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in 2007. So when the Montford Point Marines were announced to receive the same recognition in 2012, I called Roscoe to ask if it was okay for me accept the medal since I had never actually seen combat and he was a real hero. If Roscoe had not given me permission to go get that medal, I would not have gone to receive it.
While Roscoe was a living legend of WWII, he went on to devote his entire personal and professional life to public service and in the process, distinguished himself while serving others. In addition to his outstanding contributions to higher education, focusing on access and excellence, Roscoe was a model of progressive thought and activity in New York City and across our nation.
He was influential in the civil rights movement, community services, and local politics for most of his long life. Though he repeatedly turned down requests and opportunities to officially run for office, we all consulted with Roscoe during various campaigns and moments of serious challenge while holding office. Along those lines, he was definitively helpful to Percy Sutton, Basil Paterson, Charlie Rangel, Bill Lynch, and yours truly. Even so, it was never Roscoe’s style to pound his chest and demand his own spotlight.
Dr. Brown directed the Institute of Afro-American Affairs at New York University before assuming the presidency at Bronx Community College, spending over 30 years with CUNY, and gaining national prominence as a champion for the rights of others. I know that he was proud of all that he and his team accomplished during his nearly quarter century as President of Bronx Community College and the years before that making history at New York University. The African-American community, in particular, benefited from Roscoe’s keen insights into the issues that have troubled our city. From his optimistic view that there is a solution to every problem, and from his ability to work with people of all temperaments and from all political leanings to find those solutions, Roscoe gave new meaning to the title: “public servant.” He chaired several boards of numerous non-profit organizations. His leadership was demonstrated time and again in his willingness to tackle tough problems, the energy he brought to every task, and his infinite capacity to truly care for people. These were also among the reasons I looked up to him as one of my true heroes.
We were founding members of the One Hundred Black Men and brothers in the Boule, among numerous community organizations and committees on which we collaborated. Recently, I was proud to be interviewed alongside Roscoe by Carol Jenkins for CUNY TV as we celebrated his 94th birthday on March 9th discussing the past and our hopes for the future. During that episode, the torch was passed from his 30-year-run hosting, ‘African Americans Legends’ to Jenkins’ new show, ‘Black America.’ This was one of Roscoe’s last public appearances and I am so proud to have shared that conversation with him at that moment in time.
Roscoe was a quiet leader, thoughtful and deliberate. He came to lecture my students each semester over the course of my 24 years teaching at Columbia University, and after every class, without fail, he would tell me that they had taught him something new. His optimism about the future and his faith in the next generation never aged – he equally enjoyed speaking to young people AND about young people. Roscoe taught everyone about authentic enthusiasm and selfless focus by leaving all of us with these types of memories from all sorts of occasions. His mantra was to lead by example and nobody walked that walk better than Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr.
I am not sure that Roscoe’s impact on New York City, our country, and indeed, the world, can ever be accurately measured, he simply broke too many barriers, influenced too many future leaders, and effected change across so many disciplines. He was one of the few people that I would be sure to call every week, and I already miss him terribly. My thoughts and prayers go out to Roscoe’s family and extended family during this difficult time.
- David N. Dinkins, 106th Mayor, City of New York
The Tuskegee Airmen received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in 2007. So when the Montford Point Marines were announced to receive the same recognition in 2012, I called Roscoe to ask if it was okay for me accept the medal since I had never actually seen combat and he was a real hero. If Roscoe had not given me permission to go get that medal, I would not have gone to receive it.
While Roscoe was a living legend of WWII, he went on to devote his entire personal and professional life to public service and in the process, distinguished himself while serving others. In addition to his outstanding contributions to higher education, focusing on access and excellence, Roscoe was a model of progressive thought and activity in New York City and across our nation.
He was influential in the civil rights movement, community services, and local politics for most of his long life. Though he repeatedly turned down requests and opportunities to officially run for office, we all consulted with Roscoe during various campaigns and moments of serious challenge while holding office. Along those lines, he was definitively helpful to Percy Sutton, Basil Paterson, Charlie Rangel, Bill Lynch, and yours truly. Even so, it was never Roscoe’s style to pound his chest and demand his own spotlight.
Dr. Brown directed the Institute of Afro-American Affairs at New York University before assuming the presidency at Bronx Community College, spending over 30 years with CUNY, and gaining national prominence as a champion for the rights of others. I know that he was proud of all that he and his team accomplished during his nearly quarter century as President of Bronx Community College and the years before that making history at New York University. The African-American community, in particular, benefited from Roscoe’s keen insights into the issues that have troubled our city. From his optimistic view that there is a solution to every problem, and from his ability to work with people of all temperaments and from all political leanings to find those solutions, Roscoe gave new meaning to the title: “public servant.” He chaired several boards of numerous non-profit organizations. His leadership was demonstrated time and again in his willingness to tackle tough problems, the energy he brought to every task, and his infinite capacity to truly care for people. These were also among the reasons I looked up to him as one of my true heroes.
We were founding members of the One Hundred Black Men and brothers in the Boule, among numerous community organizations and committees on which we collaborated. Recently, I was proud to be interviewed alongside Roscoe by Carol Jenkins for CUNY TV as we celebrated his 94th birthday on March 9th discussing the past and our hopes for the future. During that episode, the torch was passed from his 30-year-run hosting, ‘African Americans Legends’ to Jenkins’ new show, ‘Black America.’ This was one of Roscoe’s last public appearances and I am so proud to have shared that conversation with him at that moment in time.
Roscoe was a quiet leader, thoughtful and deliberate. He came to lecture my students each semester over the course of my 24 years teaching at Columbia University, and after every class, without fail, he would tell me that they had taught him something new. His optimism about the future and his faith in the next generation never aged – he equally enjoyed speaking to young people AND about young people. Roscoe taught everyone about authentic enthusiasm and selfless focus by leaving all of us with these types of memories from all sorts of occasions. His mantra was to lead by example and nobody walked that walk better than Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr.
I am not sure that Roscoe’s impact on New York City, our country, and indeed, the world, can ever be accurately measured, he simply broke too many barriers, influenced too many future leaders, and effected change across so many disciplines. He was one of the few people that I would be sure to call every week, and I already miss him terribly. My thoughts and prayers go out to Roscoe’s family and extended family during this difficult time.
- David N. Dinkins, 106th Mayor, City of New York
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