Osceola Enoch McKaine (December 18, 1892 – November 17, 1955) was an American public speaker, businessman, civil rights activist and political candidate. [1] He was a candidate for US Senate in 1944 as part of a Black-led splinter challenge to the Democratic Party. [2]
McKaine was born in Sumter, South Carolina. [2]: 358 He had a half-brother, Ansley Abraham. [3] He graduated from Lincoln Graded School in 1908. [1]
After working as a merchant marine, he served in the US Army's 24th Infantry then its 367th Infantry [2] during World War I, traveling to the Philippines, Mexico and France, earning the rank of lieutenant. [3] He returned to the US and resided in New York City, where he was "a leading voice and an organizing force" [2]: 358 for the League for Democracy (LFD), a militant organization of black veterans. [4] making public speeches and working as editor of its newspaper, New York Commoner. [2]: 358–59
McKaine relocated to Ghent, Belgium, and owned and operated a supper club / nightclub [3] with a partner. Because of World War II, he returned to his hometown, Sumter, South Carolina, where he headed the local branch of the NAACP. [4]
He conducted a survey to report the disparity of white and black teachers' salaries. [3] He continued to find ways to reduce the unfairness of the disparity which resulted in legal actions that involved Thurgood Marshall. [5]
McKaine was an associate editor of the Lighthouse and Informer, a black newspaper. He was the candidate for US Senate for the offshoot political party, the Progressive Democratic Party (organized by McKaine and Lighthouse and Informer''s John McCray), [5] making him the first black candidate to run for statewide office since Reconstruction. [3] Though unsuccessful against the state's sitting governor Olin Johnston, the candidacy brought attention to the black vote, [3] boosting black voter rolls during the 1940s from 3,500 to 50,000 people. [5]
He was involved in other organizations such as the Southern Negro Youth Congress (SNYC) and the Southern Conference of Human Welfare (SCHW)—its first (and only) black field representative. [6]
McKaine returned to Belgium to his supper club work after World War II.
McKaine spoke four languages. [3]
He died in Brussels, Belgium, at age 62 [3] and was buried in his hometown, Sumter, South Carolina, at Walker Cemetery.