!'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
•
'11lII0I13
''15Il0l13
, 13
'1tenN14
P1tMV7N14
P2O&I75I14
P2O&I75I1
P21t1na115
P225175115
P2'lII7N 15 '
1I COL PAR
313-389-3000
lIVO IA
313-«2-5400
ACO 8 ALL
313-293-8000
o ROE
313-242-9130
TOLEDO
419-535-3311
. 419-698-5795
TWelVE .OAKS
313-344-0500
ADRIAN
517-263-0641
BRIAR 000 ALL
313-9 8-3900
DEARBOR
313-« 1-5992
GE ESSEE VALLEY
313-733-4400
OP 11'00 A
o SU DAY