 |
| William A. Sinclair From An era of progress and promise |
South Carolina. Born enslaved. Mulatto.
Occupation: financial secretary, physician, teacher.
William A. Sinclair was born in Georgetown, South Carolina to enslaved parents whose names are unknown. When Sinclair was four years old (in 1862), he and his mother were sold and separated from the rest of their family. The family was reunited after the Civil War, but his father died shortly thereafter.
For his education, Sinclair first attended local schools in Georgetown and then registered at the University of South Carolina on October 5, 1874. He entered into the subfreshman (or college preparatory) class but was a college student on the modern studies track by January 1876. The university closed before he completed his degree.
After the university closed, Sinclair left South Carolina and never again lived in the Deep South. He later spoke about life in South Carolina for African Americans when providing testimony at an extradition hearing. The South Carolina state government had requested that Pennsylvania extradite an African American accused of committing murder. Sinclair told officials that, if extradited, the accused would not be treated fairly by the South Carolina legal system. In his words:
it would be utterly impossible for this man [the accused] to have a fair trial in South Carolina. There is not a colored man in the county of Edgefield that would dare come to that court house if that man was being tried to say one single word in his favor, not a single one. If he dared to do it, he wouldn't stay in the town over night. If he did he would be dead in the morning.Sinclair left South Carolina to move to Washington DC. There he attended Howard University. In 1880, he graduated from Howard's Theology Department, and the next year (in 1881), he graduated from Howard's College Department. At the 1881 commencement ceremony, Sinclair delivered an oration titled "The Philosophy of History."
After completing his degree at Howard, Sinclair moved to Nashville, Tennessee and worked for the American Missionary Association. He also attended Meherry Medical College from 1886-87, graduating with a M.D.
After receiving his M.D., Sinclair spent a year (from 1887 to 1888) as Professor of Natural Science at Livingstone College. He then returned to D.C. and worked as a financial agent for Howard University. He held this position for 16 years, until 1904.
While working for Howard University, he also attended Andover Theological Seminary (in Newton, Massachusetts) from 1894-95. There he won a prize for his dissertation and gave an address at commencement.
In 1904, at the end of his time at Howard, Sinclair published his book The Aftermath of Slavery. The book discusses the condition of African Americans in the U.S. South after the Civil War.
After Sinclair left Howard, he moved to Philadelphia and worked at the Frederick Douglas Memorial Hospital as financial secretary. While living Philadelphia, he remained involved with Howard University and often returned to Washington DC. For example, he was a member of the Howard Board of Trustees and, in that capacity, he returned to Howard to participate in e.g. alumni events.
In Philadelphia, Sinclair was active in politics. He was president of the New England Equal Rights League, a director of the NAACP, and was involved with many other organizations promoting rights for African Americans.
In 1906, he was the local league president of the Constitutional League (an organization for African Americans). In November of that year, he was part of a delegation of league representatives that met with President Roosevelt to protest the treatment of African American soldiers in the 25th Infantry Regiment. While the regiment was stationed at Fort Brown in Brownsville, Texas, a white bartender in the town was killed and a white police officer wounded. Local law enforcement alleged that these acts were committed by African American soldiers. The African Americans in the regiment were pressured to provide testimony to law enforcement, but they declined. In response, President Roosevelt, at the recommendation of the Army Inspector General, ordered over 100 troops dishonorably discharged.
The Constitutional League criticized Roosevelt's decision and argued that he should instead offer the soldiers a "square deal." Despite the intervention of the League, and other organizations, as well as years of legal proceedings, the discharges were upheld until 1972 when President Nixon issued pardons and awarded honorable discharges. By that time, only two of the soldiers were still living.
During the 1910s, Sinclair publicly criticized Democratic President Woodrow Wilson for his treatment of African Americans. In December, 1913, Sinclair was part of a committee of prominent African Americans that met with Wilson to object to the segregation of federal departments (like the Treasury Department). The committee complained that segregation by the federal government would "humiliate and degrade our race and present it to the world as an object of scorn and contempt." Wilson listened to their complaints and said he would look into them, but also asserted that the complaints were exaggerated. Segregation under Wilson's administration would continue to be a concern for African Americans.
In October, 1916, Sinclair participated in a meeting of the National Equal Rights League in which the league called on Congress to make lynching a federal crime, criticized President Wilson for "fostering race prejudices," and urging people to support Wilson's Republican opponent Charles Evans Hughes in the presidential election. At the meeting, Sinclair read a paper on "declaration of principles."
The next year, in March, 1917, Sinclair gave a speech to the Woman's Wage Earners' Association titled "What Women Have Accomplished in Social Uplift Work." Sinclair's former professor Richard T. Greener also gave a speech at the meeting.
In Philadelphia, Sinclair was active in politics. He was president of the New England Equal Rights League, a director of the NAACP, and was involved with many other organizations promoting rights for African Americans.
In 1906, he was the local league president of the Constitutional League (an organization for African Americans). In November of that year, he was part of a delegation of league representatives that met with President Roosevelt to protest the treatment of African American soldiers in the 25th Infantry Regiment. While the regiment was stationed at Fort Brown in Brownsville, Texas, a white bartender in the town was killed and a white police officer wounded. Local law enforcement alleged that these acts were committed by African American soldiers. The African Americans in the regiment were pressured to provide testimony to law enforcement, but they declined. In response, President Roosevelt, at the recommendation of the Army Inspector General, ordered over 100 troops dishonorably discharged.
The Constitutional League criticized Roosevelt's decision and argued that he should instead offer the soldiers a "square deal." Despite the intervention of the League, and other organizations, as well as years of legal proceedings, the discharges were upheld until 1972 when President Nixon issued pardons and awarded honorable discharges. By that time, only two of the soldiers were still living.
During the 1910s, Sinclair publicly criticized Democratic President Woodrow Wilson for his treatment of African Americans. In December, 1913, Sinclair was part of a committee of prominent African Americans that met with Wilson to object to the segregation of federal departments (like the Treasury Department). The committee complained that segregation by the federal government would "humiliate and degrade our race and present it to the world as an object of scorn and contempt." Wilson listened to their complaints and said he would look into them, but also asserted that the complaints were exaggerated. Segregation under Wilson's administration would continue to be a concern for African Americans.
In October, 1916, Sinclair participated in a meeting of the National Equal Rights League in which the league called on Congress to make lynching a federal crime, criticized President Wilson for "fostering race prejudices," and urging people to support Wilson's Republican opponent Charles Evans Hughes in the presidential election. At the meeting, Sinclair read a paper on "declaration of principles."
The next year, in March, 1917, Sinclair gave a speech to the Woman's Wage Earners' Association titled "What Women Have Accomplished in Social Uplift Work." Sinclair's former professor Richard T. Greener also gave a speech at the meeting.
Sinclair died of double pneumonia in Philadelphia on April 20, 1926. A large group from Howard University headed by Howard's Dean George W. Cook attended the funeral. One obituary for Sinclair described him as "a man of decided ability and varied and liberal attainments, with great firmness and decision, and by his genial temperament and charming personality was a most acceptable and popular visitor everywhere. Personally, he was the true gentleman – hopeful, pleasant, generous, and kind." He is buried in Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania.
Sources:
1). General Catalogue of the Theological Seminary Andover, Massachusetts: 1808-1908. Thomas Todd Printer, Boston, MA. p. 448.
2). Sinclair, William A. The Aftermath of Slavery: A Study of the Condition and Environment of the American Negro. Small, Maynard & Company, Boston, MA. 1905.
3). Meharry Medical College, “1887 Meharry Medical College Catalogue,” Meharry Medical College Archives.
4). Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1967; Certificate Number Range: 040001-043000
5). 1880; Census Place: Georgetown, Georgetown, South Carolina; Roll: 1229; Page: 315A; Enumeration District: 050
6). "Howard University: Commencement of the Collegiate Department," The National Republican. June 3, 1881. p. 4.
7). "Philadelphia's Interest." Evening star, November 26, 1906. p. 1.
8). "Wilson Gets Protests on Race Segregation." Evening star, November 6, 1913. p. 13.
9). "Voices Protest of Race on Lynching." The Washington Times, October 7, 1916. p. 9.
10). "Addresses Women." The Washington Times, March 5, 1917. p. 6.
11). "Negro Still Held in Pennsylvania." The Herald and News, July 6, 1915, p. 1.
12). "W. A. Sinclair Dead." Evening Star, April 21, 1926, p. 7.
13). The Richmond Planet, May 1, 1926. p. 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment