Scan barcode
A review by komet2020
Black Radical: The Life and Times of William Monroe Trotter by Kerri K. Greenidge
4.0
If ever there was a personage of note who merited a serious biography, William Monroe Trotter (1872-1934) fits the bill. In life, he was a tireless fighter and uncompromising supporter of the African American community (and by extension, people of color throughout the world) at a time in which it was oppressed by overt white supremacy and Jim Crow segregation laws.
Trotter had the sheer guts to challenge face-to-face President Wilson in the White House over his implementation of rigid segregation of the federal government in 1913, which led to many African American federal employees losing their jobs or being demoted. He also --- despite the U.S. government denying him a passport --- managed to sail incognito to Paris in 1919, where he presented to European leaders who had gathered there for the Paris Peace Conference, "the colored world's demands" for democracy and socio-economic justice and equality. What's more: upon returning to the United States, Trotter and a group of like-minded "race men" (a term that was then used to describe African Americans who with an uncompromising sense of purpose, devoted their lives to fighting for equal rights for African Americans) met with the Republican Senate Majority Leader (Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, whom Trotter, a Bostonian, knew well) and various members of Congress to unsuccessfully push for passage of an anti-lynching bill.
Prior to entering college, I knew absolutely nothing about William Monroe Trotter. It wasn't until I took an American History course that Trotter entered my consciousness. But I wasn't inclined to search out information about his life until I chanced upon this biography several months ago.
Trotter came from a family of strivers, abolitionists, and civil rights advocates (his father joined the Union Army during the Civil War and was promoted to lieutenant by war's end; he later moved to Massachusetts, where he became involved in Republican Party politics and real estate; later he received the sinecure of a position in the U.S. government as Recorder of Deeds). Trotter, an only son, attended Harvard (where he became acquainted with W.E.B. Du Bois), graduated Phi Beta Kappa in the early 1890s, went into real estate (which added to his wealth), acquired ownership of a newspaper in 1901, and began his lifelong commitment to bettering the lot of "colored people" in the U.S.
From reading "BLACK RADICAL" it became clear to me how much Trotter sacrificed --- and lost in an era characterized by the retreat (since 1877) of the federal government from upholding and supporting African American rights as enshrined in the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution and widespread disfranchisement and marginalization of African Americans in mainstream society.
Unlike other African American leaders (e.g. Booker T. Washington) who promoted economic self-sufficiency at the expense of full political and civil rights for African Americans, Trotter stood out for his principled stand for full social, economic, and political rights for his people. In the process, he locked horns with a lot of people, and at times let his ego get the best of him. In reading this biography, I ached for this man who, as he entered middle age, endured a lot of personal tragedies, health complaints, and emerged as a broken man.
It is my hope that --- amid the present "Black Lives Matter" movement and the ongoing struggles for social and economic justice in the U.S. today --- more people will take it upon themselves to learn about William Monroe Trotter and keep him close to their hearts.
(My only complaint with this biography is the lack of photographs of Trotter, his family, and several of the people who figured prominently in his life. Hence, I opted to give "BLACK RADICAL" 4 stars only.)
Trotter had the sheer guts to challenge face-to-face President Wilson in the White House over his implementation of rigid segregation of the federal government in 1913, which led to many African American federal employees losing their jobs or being demoted. He also --- despite the U.S. government denying him a passport --- managed to sail incognito to Paris in 1919, where he presented to European leaders who had gathered there for the Paris Peace Conference, "the colored world's demands" for democracy and socio-economic justice and equality. What's more: upon returning to the United States, Trotter and a group of like-minded "race men" (a term that was then used to describe African Americans who with an uncompromising sense of purpose, devoted their lives to fighting for equal rights for African Americans) met with the Republican Senate Majority Leader (Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, whom Trotter, a Bostonian, knew well) and various members of Congress to unsuccessfully push for passage of an anti-lynching bill.
Prior to entering college, I knew absolutely nothing about William Monroe Trotter. It wasn't until I took an American History course that Trotter entered my consciousness. But I wasn't inclined to search out information about his life until I chanced upon this biography several months ago.
Trotter came from a family of strivers, abolitionists, and civil rights advocates (his father joined the Union Army during the Civil War and was promoted to lieutenant by war's end; he later moved to Massachusetts, where he became involved in Republican Party politics and real estate; later he received the sinecure of a position in the U.S. government as Recorder of Deeds). Trotter, an only son, attended Harvard (where he became acquainted with W.E.B. Du Bois), graduated Phi Beta Kappa in the early 1890s, went into real estate (which added to his wealth), acquired ownership of a newspaper in 1901, and began his lifelong commitment to bettering the lot of "colored people" in the U.S.
From reading "BLACK RADICAL" it became clear to me how much Trotter sacrificed --- and lost in an era characterized by the retreat (since 1877) of the federal government from upholding and supporting African American rights as enshrined in the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution and widespread disfranchisement and marginalization of African Americans in mainstream society.
Unlike other African American leaders (e.g. Booker T. Washington) who promoted economic self-sufficiency at the expense of full political and civil rights for African Americans, Trotter stood out for his principled stand for full social, economic, and political rights for his people. In the process, he locked horns with a lot of people, and at times let his ego get the best of him. In reading this biography, I ached for this man who, as he entered middle age, endured a lot of personal tragedies, health complaints, and emerged as a broken man.
It is my hope that --- amid the present "Black Lives Matter" movement and the ongoing struggles for social and economic justice in the U.S. today --- more people will take it upon themselves to learn about William Monroe Trotter and keep him close to their hearts.
(My only complaint with this biography is the lack of photographs of Trotter, his family, and several of the people who figured prominently in his life. Hence, I opted to give "BLACK RADICAL" 4 stars only.)