William Monroe Trotter

William Monroe Trtter (February 7, 1872 - 1934), William Monroe Trotter was born to James trotter and Virginia Isaacs on April 7, 1872. William was born in Springfield Township, Ohio. James trotter was the son of a slave owner in Mississippi who proved his worth by rising in the ranks to 2nd lieutenant in the Black Massachusetts 55th regimen during the civil war. James and Virginia decided to settle down in Massachusetts shortly after the war. James and Virginia’s first two children died in infancy. It was for this reason that young Trotter’s parents moved to Ohio for his birth. When William made it to 7 months his family moved back to Massachusetts where they settled in part of town far from the predominantly black side. If fact, soon thereafter, they later moved to a white suburb of Boston Massachusetts by name of Hyde Park. William’s father was the type of man who broke most racial obstacle placed before him. James was appointed recorder of deeds form the District of Columbia by President Cleveland, which was a major accomplishment for African Americans during the time.

James must have instituted the same values in to William who graduated valedictorian and President of his high school class. William went on to Harvard University to pursue a career in international banking. In 1895, William graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa and in 1896 took an M.A. Even after call his incredible academic achievements William hit a racial glass ceiling by going no where in his aspired career. It is for his reason that William had to settle on a career in real estate. In 1899 William married Geraldine Louise Pindell.

In 1901 William along win George Forbes, founded the Boston Guardian. The Guardian’s main target was Booker T. Washington. The Guardian was full of letters and editorials that were anti-Booker T. Washington. William along with W.E.B Dubois were leaders of the Niagara Movement. The Niagara Movement was an organization of African American that renounced accommodation policies set forth in Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Compromise speech. William soon left the Niagara Movement to form the National Equal right’s League.

As a political activist, William led protests against segregation in the federal government, led pickets against the Birth of a Nation and defended the Scottsboro boys. In 1912 William helped support Woodrow Wilson for president who turned around and segregated African American workers in the federal government. William and a group of African Americans went to the White House to protest about Wilson’s presidential decisions. Offended by William’s manner and tone, President Wilson banned William from the White House for the remainder of his term in office.

William either fell or jumped to his death on April 7, 1934, the night of his 62nd birthday.

References

• Yenser, Thomas (editor), Who's Who in Colored America: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Persons of African Descent in America, Who's Who in Colored America, Brooklyn, New York, 1930-1931-1932 (Third Edition)

Encyclopedia of World Biography© on William Monroe Trotter

William M. Trotter Biography