Charles Dawson. PHOTO: COURTESY DAWSON FAMILY
Charles Dawson was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts on June 12, 1927 to James and Eva Dawson. His relationship with Twelfth Baptist Church goes back over fourscore and three years, to the year of 1931, when he was a kindergartener. He began coming to the church along with his brothers and sister because of his family’s residential proximity, which at the time was on Shawmut Avenue. The Dawson siblings’ attendance at TBC was so deep-rooted that it attracted their mother to the church. Eva Dawson eventually joined the church, became a faithful member and developed a close relationship with First Lady Hester.
A lover of automobiles, young Charlie would regularly change the oil and perform other small mechanical repairs on Reverend Hester’s vehicles.
As a teen, Charlie was an active member of the youth choir until 1944, when World War II began. That year, he enlisted at age 17 and was on active reserve until 1946. While in the military, Charlie, who was born with a learning disability, earned his high school equivalency.
He worked his way up and became a mechanics assistant. As he hoped for future promotions, Mr. Dawson remembers being told, “This line is lily white, and it’s gonna stay that way.” Instead of being discouraged, he persevered and became a mechanic.
Similar racist practices with the labor union blocked him from membership, but Mr. Dawson’s strong will propelled him to keep hammering at that wall until he eventually gained acceptance into the labor union. Not only did Mr. Dawson get into the labor union, he eventually rose to the rank of union president, which allowed him to bring in three other Black members.
Because of his leadership and quest for equality, Mr. Dawson became close with Gov. Francis W. Sargent. He used his position as president of the labor union and his access to the governor to help many parishioners at TBC gain employment with the state, and also helped many of the youth gain summer jobs.
Mr. Dawson ended his professional career with certifications of proficiency from the Lee School of Real Estate; in Automotive Repair and Care from MIT; and in Public Speaking from Harvard. His last appointment was with the Massachusetts Highway and Transportation Center.
A family man for over 60 years, Mr. Dawson first married Katherine Neville and they had a daughter, Linda Dawson McClain. In 1959, Mrs. Katherine Neville Dawson was called to glory. With the grace of God, Mr. Dawson remarried in 1965 to Mollie Ware and they had a daughter, Paula Dawson Price. Both his daughters grew into beautiful women and have been blessed with families of their own.
Mr. Charles Dawson and Mrs. Mollie Dawson also stood as protectors of the Twelfth Baptist Church family.
After hearing about robberies at some churches in the community, Mr. Dawson, who was a deputy sheriff and a legal firearm holder, ensured that TBC would not be vulnerable to such attacks.
Hence, he started the first Security Ministry of Twelfth Baptist Church, which protected ushers during the collection of offerings.
With the assistance of Mr. A. Woodson, Mr. Dawson accompanied the trustees to the bank every Sunday. His service to this church did not stop there. Mr. Dawson also rendered his services to the church’s thrift and book stores.
He also worked with the Boy Scouts Troop 215, serving as the institutional representative. The troop served young men with resourceful activities that aided in their maturation, and included an annual summer trip to Camp Sawyer on Blue Hill Avenue. Unbeknownst to Mr. Dawson, his work with the troop would result in the Boys Scouts of America honoring him for 47 years of scouting service and for Troop 215 being the largest on the east coast of the United States during his tenure.
Mr. Dawson not only stood in service for TBC as an usher, he helped to integrate the labor union and became the president, which afforded other black people the opportunity to join. He was a husband, father and grandfather. Mr. Dawson served his country in World War II and the Korean War. He was a proud member of the historic Twelfth Baptist Church and a community activist. Charles Dawson will be missed by many, but his love and legacy will live within us all.
His homegoing service will be June 15 at Twelfth Baptist Church. See the Davis Funeral Home website for info.
