Lets show you why I believe what I have just said. - Johnson Chestnut Whittaker born in 1858 and died in 1931 was born into slavery on the chestnut plantation in Camden, South Carolina. He studied privately with Richard Greener, the first African American to graduate from Harvard College. Whittaker later attended the University of South Carolina, then a Freedman's School. He was appointed to the United States Academy at West Point in 1876 under Congressman Solomon L. Hoge. For most of the time at West Point he was the only black cadet and was ostracized by his white peers. On the morning of April 5th 1880 he was found tied to his bed unconscious bleeding and bruised.
His hands and face have been cut by a razor and pages fro his bible were strewn about his room. Whittaker told West Point Administrators that he has been attacked by three fellow cadets, but but his account of the morning was not believed. West Point Administrators did not believe him and said that he has fabricated the attack to win sympathy. After a year National publicized hearing, Whittaker was found guilty in an 1881 Court Martial and expelled from West Point.The Prosecuting Attorney was a West Point Judge Advocate Major Asa Bird Gardiner, later a Sachem of Tammany Hall in New York and disgraced New York District Attorney who blatantly talked of " Inferior " and " Superior " races and commented that a Negroes are noted for there ability to Sham and Feigns. The verdict was overturned in 1883 by President Chester A, Arthur, West Point refuse to reinstated him and the expulsion on the grounds that Whittaker had failed an exams.
No comments:
Post a Comment