Juliette Derricotte
Encyclopedia
Juliette Derricotte was an African-American educator and political activist whose death after receiving racist treatment after a fatal car accident sparked outrage in the African-American community.
and a seamstress. As a child, she was hopeful of attending the local Institute and was crushed when her mother told her she would be unable to due to her color. This event helped shape her perception of the world and her desire to change people’s racial prejudices.
, where she ended up getting a scholarship for her public speaking. After she graduated in 1918, she enrolled at the Young Women's Christian Association
(YWCA) Training School. She then became the YWCA secretary of the National Student Council. Her responsibilities included visiting colleges, planning conferences, and fostering ideas and leadership. She is credited with recreating the council in ideology, helping it become more balanced, open, and most importantly, interracial. In 1924, Derricotte became a member of the World Student Christian Federation
and began traveling the world as a delegate representing American
colleges. In 1927, she received a master's degree in religious education from Columbia University
. She resigned her YWCA position in 1929 to become Dean of Women at Fisk University
.
.
Early life
She was born the fifth of nine children of Isaac Derricotte and Laura Derricotte, a cobblerShoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
and a seamstress. As a child, she was hopeful of attending the local Institute and was crushed when her mother told her she would be unable to due to her color. This event helped shape her perception of the world and her desire to change people’s racial prejudices.
Education and career
Her drive for education helped land her in Talladega CollegeTalladega College
- External Links :* -- Official web site*...
, where she ended up getting a scholarship for her public speaking. After she graduated in 1918, she enrolled at the Young Women's Christian Association
Young Women's Christian Association
Young Women's Christian Association or YWCA or YWCA Building or Old YWCA Building or variations may refer to:*World YWCA, the organization formerly known as Young Women's Christian Associationor it may refer to:...
(YWCA) Training School. She then became the YWCA secretary of the National Student Council. Her responsibilities included visiting colleges, planning conferences, and fostering ideas and leadership. She is credited with recreating the council in ideology, helping it become more balanced, open, and most importantly, interracial. In 1924, Derricotte became a member of the World Student Christian Federation
World Student Christian Federation
The World Student Christian Federation is a federation of autonomous national Student Christian Movements forming the youth and student arm of the global ecumenical movement...
and began traveling the world as a delegate representing American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
colleges. In 1927, she received a master's degree in religious education from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. She resigned her YWCA position in 1929 to become Dean of Women at Fisk University
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
.
Deadly discrimination
Derricotte died in a traffic accident in 1931. While riding in a car driven by a student, they collided with a white couple. Both Derricotte and the student were seriously injured. Although they received emergency treatment from white doctors, they were refused admittance to the local hospital because they were black. They were moved to a local woman’s house, and both died by morning. This triggered national outrage and several investigations, one involving the National Association for the Advancement of Colored PeopleNational Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
.