Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr.
2012 Abraham Krasnoff Courage & Commitment Award Honoree
In 1941, he joined a group of elite African-American pilots who became the famed “Tuskegee Airmen.” As a pilot with the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, he destroyed two German airplanes. The Tuskegee Airmen are often referred to as the “Red Tail Angels” for their heroic exploits during World War II. Captain Roscoe Brown received the Distinguished Flying Cross and is one of the airmen whose experiences are featured in the current movie, Red Tails.
The Tuskegee Airmen are often credited with being pioneers of the civil rights movement. Their heroism led to the integration of the armed forces and opened many doors to black Americans.
After his military service, Dr. Brown resumed his education, earning a M.A. and Ph.D. in education from New York University. While earning his doctorate, he became the director of the Institute of Afro-American Affairs and a professor of education at NYU, where he remained for 27 years. In 1977, Dr. Brown was named President of Bronx Community College and, subsequently, Director of the Center for Urban Education Policy and University Professor at the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York.
Dr. Brown has been Chairman of the New York City Regional Education Center for Economic Development, has served as a member of the national boards of Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the American Council on Education. He also serves on the boards of the YMCA of Greater New York and the Fund for the City of New York. He currently serves on the boards of the New York Botanical Garden, the New York City Partnerships, The Museum of the City of New York, the Phipps Community Development Corporation, the City Parks Foundation, Libraries for the Future and the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. He is also a member and past president of the 100 Black Men of America New York Chapter.
He has also served as Chairman of the boards of directors of the Greater Harlem Nursing Home, the Urban Issues Group, Arthur Ashe Athletic Association, and of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS and chair of the National Scholarship Selection Committee of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. He is a member of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corp. He has served on the New York State Governor’s Advisory Committee for Black Affairs and the New York State Human Rights Advisory Committee.
Dr. Brown has received numerous awards and honors for scholarly and community Service activities. Among them are BET Honors, Who’s Who in America, NAACP Freedom Awards, the Congressional Award for Service to the African-American Community and the Distinguished Alumnus from his alma-maters. He has recently been bestowed the honor of “New York City Treasure.”
Dr. Brown has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Negro Ensemble Company and as a member of the WNET/Channel 13 Board of Advisors and the boards of directors of the Bronx Council on the Arts, the Columbia University Center for American Culture Studies and the Municipal Art Society. Dr. Brown has written many articles and guides especially for educators. He also prepared the very popular “Black Culture Quiz.”
Dr. Brown has hosted numerous television programs and has been host of the television series, “African-American Legends” which aired on CUNY-TV.