!'Court-Martial: A Black Man
in Am rlca.-
By John F. rzalek Jr
JOHNSON C. WHITTAKER
This assault brought about
the court-martial and dishonor-
· able discharge of Whittaker
him elf, academy officials
charging that he taged his own
attack in order to avoid final ex
ams.
The story registered variable
degrees of temperament on the
country's racial barometer in
1880, a nation then divided by
post-civil war wounds. The New
York Times quoted a cadet 88
saying, "He's a nigger, and nig
gers are capable of anything.·
From the 1870's through the
1880's, 23 Blacks attended West
Point, but only three graduated.
WHITTAKERB' LIFE be
came 'rather obscure after his
ouster from the academy but he
spoke publicly about his depar
ture from the military institu
tion in Buffalo, 1880, acoord ing ,
to a recent New York Times ar
ticle. -With God as my. guide,
duty as my watchword, I can, I
must and I will win a place in
life," Whittaker said.
He returned to South Caro
lina practicing law in Sumter
and teaching at South Carolina
State University, Orangeburg,
then relocating to Oaklahoma
City in 1908 where he became a
principal, returning once again
to Orangeburg (1925) to teach
psychology. Mr. Whittaker died
in 1931.
His ordeal with the military
did not deter his t 0 sons, Miller
and John, from enlisting in the
U.S. Army during World War I,
both commissioned officers.
Whittaker's grandson Peter,
erved in World War II as a
member of the Tuskegee Air
men, the first Black fighter pi
lots in the Armed Forces. '
Peter's sister, Cecil Whit
taker McFadden, granddaugh
ter of Johnson C. Whittaker,
resides here in Detroit and was
present during the p confer
ence held at the MAAH, along
with her son Attorney UI
Boykin, Harvard Law graduate,
who was also a lieutenant in the
Army.
Ms. Mcfadden, 1 S-yeers-old
at the time of her grandfathsre
death, expressed her sentiments
retrospectively. "I was very
proud to know that he didn't let
that ruin his life. He inspired the
t of us, and we've done very
, well," Fadden said.
THE WHITT R family
consorted amongst gu ts at the
DIA reception/premiere where
id nt Clinto 'd
Th
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