William Monroe Trotter was a newspaper editor and a realtor in Boston, Massachusetts. He was famous in black history for strongly advocating for African American Civil Rights and also founded the Boston Guardian. He was born on April 7, 1872, to James Monroe Trotter and Virginia and raised in Hyde Park Massachusett. Trotter attended Hyde Park High School dominated by whites, excelled academically, and became the president and valedictorian of his graduating class. He later enrolled in Harvard University to further his education. He did so well academically that the university awarded him the “Phi Beta Kappa Key ” making him the first black in African American history to receive such honor. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in 1895 and a Master’s degree a year later while doing different jobs to pay his fees.
After graduation, he eventually got a job in real estate owned by whites but thought within himself to begin his business where he would sell insurance and mortgages which he successfully did in the future. Although Trotter wasn’t fully involved in advocating for civil rights at this time, he shared his strong beliefs on racial equality and encouraged more African Americans to attend higher institutions since it was an uncommon practice then. He expressed his deep concern after a speech given by Booker. T. Washington, a prominent African American and accommodationist, in the 1890s in Atlanta, Georgia. Washington said that Southern African Americans should not advocate for their political rights as long as they had the right to due process and were given economic opportunities. Trotter became furious, he felt that Washington’s opinions gave room for the increasing racial discrimination in the South and was worried that it might spread to other places.
Harvard was an inspiration to me because it was the exemplar of
William Monroe Trotter
true American freedom, equality, and real democracy”
Trotter got married to his childhood friend, Geraldine Louise in June 1899 and she supported him in his career till she died of flu in 1918 without giving birth to any child. He became fully involved in civil rights activism in 1901, joined different groups that promoted racial equality and was able to give his first speech that addressed Washington’s standpoint during one of his protests. That same year, Trotter collaborated with George .W. Forbes to publish “The Guardian Newspaper” which he used as a platform to state his grievances on racial injustice and directly attack Washington’s opinions. Washington began to do everything possible to stop the newspaper publication. He filed criminal charges against Trotter and funded the release of other newspapers that would oppose his actions. Despite all the measures taken by Washington to stop “The Guardian Newspaper”, Trotter refused to give in, and continued publishing.
In 1905, several opponents of Washington including Trotter and DuBois united at Niagara Falls to form the Niagara Movement to oppose Washington’s authority. They also wrote a decree demanding the political rights of African Americans and an end to racial discrimination but Trotter left in 1908 because he was against women joining the group. About a year later he founded the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) with some members of the Niagara Falls but was not active because of the involvement of white individuals.
He later established the National Equal Rights League. Trotter also extended his civil rights activism to the black soldiers who fought during World War 1 demanding that they be granted equal rights. He died on his birthday, April 7, 1934, after he fell from a great height. He was laid to rest in Fairview Cemetery, Boston.