[1] Born in Roanoke, Virginia, Dunnaville saw a cross set afire by the Ku Klux Klan in front of his family's home when he was nine years old, cementing his lifelong interest in civil rights law.
[4] Upon graduating from law school and passing the New York bar exam, Dunnaville became the first African American to work for the Internal Revenue Service.
Dunnaville also co-founded the Council of Concerned Black Executives and the Association for Integration in Management, which in the 1970s and 1980s worked with businesses to improve corporate opportunities for African-Americans.
In 1998, Dunnaville helped found the Oliver Hill Foundation, and continues to advocate for restorative justice[7] and improve pro bono service to the poor.
[3] Often an advocate pushing the cutting edge of legal reform, one of Dunnaville's latest projects involves promoting the implementation in Virginia of restorative justice as an evidence-based alternative to traditional disciplinary and retributive measures.
[8] He has been a leading advocate for the elimination of the use of cash bail "wealth based detention" in criminal prosecutions, arguing such term violates constitutional due process of law.