The guardian., 1944-09-30
GREAT NAM ES.
We Have ImmOrtaIized Many Heroes But Ignored
William Monroe Trotter
= BY JOSEPH D. BIBB :
lin Pittsburgh Courier)

Memories of Frederick Douglass Paul Dunbar Booker
Washington seem eternal and everlasting in the minds of
dark folk in America These great have been immortal
lied in bronze and Schools euogzed them they
have been revered honored and pepetuated forever
christening ceremonies Theatres Fairgrounds corporations
and individual enterprises have been named for these
They will live forever among cooed people almost
all of the things of beauty and joys forever for
them - that is among American colored people.
They all great men-Dougass, the freed slave the
orator and champion of human liberty Dunbar duSky da
let poet and rhymste of soulful lyrics Booker T. Washing
ton pioneer educator and nterracaSt Abraham Lin
con martyr saint and emancpato spirits live and
breathe colored communities Their ever before
uSDouglaSS Dunbar, Washington Lincoln among
Everywhere go find their names are held in
such high esteem that children business classic
and sacred halls named for them hazard the opn-
ion that in naming Somany things them that we have
perhaps slightly overdone the job Other great
accomplished others have achieved others laid down
their lives and others outstanding and everast-
ing contributions to the of freedom, liberty
vancement of colored people.
During these momenteous and critical times the memory
OF unsung hero sadly neglected mind The
memory of William Monroe Trotter. I knew him we'll
Twenty years ago Trotter the Boston editor
ward honor graduate almost all of his worldly goods
and sngehanded sailed Peace Conference at
Versailles He sought to get plank
ial equality into the draft Failing returned undauned
and fought on until the end.
Trotter is virtually forgotten is not inscribed
in steel and stone among his people but it written
blood upon the pages of history eulo-
gieS chrSeningS and ereCtons of monuments when
to be considered and immortalized William
roe Trotter should be forgotten If President Woodrow
Wilson alive he would remember Trotte 1914
he was challenged and petoned to incorporate the
of coored people in his conceptions of "The New Freedom"
The moving picture magnaeS remember him for his
mittng onslaught upon "The Birth of Nation" They
member him, but his do not He prophet without
honor in his home land" and nothing has been
for him He not well advertised and agented
of the other great but far surpasses many
who are held in glory and high esteem.
If TrOtter alive today he would the thick of
the battle for postwar recognition for dark folk. He would
have ripped the hides off of the proponents of segregation
in the armed forces He would not tempOrized
slick Schemng politicians for gain TrOtter would
have placed the of justice and equality above the
tOn block He did while he lived and the riches
offered for compromise He afraid expose the
pous deasm" of the American leaders during the last
and aroused the French press plead for fair treat
ment for cOlOred soldiers and civilians The FB did not
him finch when the issues of truth
at stake The pattern for leadership in this present crisis
established William many years ago
1t the firm conviction of this writer that inspira
tion and eIectrcatiOn for human advancement be
found the life of Troer than in of the other great
Many great of courageous soul have trod soil
IN dark skin-great those whom mmortaize Their
places yet fixed AUTHENTIC history Sometimes 1t
takes hundreds of years determine the true stature of
Time will reveal that Americans have
produced many truly great than Douglass Dun
Lincoln will always rank high the halls of fame but
not that others should endure 1t Is
time to find some other heroes to immortalize