Clement G. Morgan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clement Garnett Morgan
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Clement G. Morgan, 1890
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| Member of the Cambridge Board of Aldermen | |
| In office 1895–1899 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | January 9, 1859 Stafford County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | June 1, 1929 (aged 70) Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Gertrude Wright Morgan |
| Alma mater | Boston Latin School Harvard University Harvard University School of Law |
Clement Garnett Morgan (1859-1929) was an important American lawyer and activist. He worked for equal rights for African Americans. He also served as a city official in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Clement Morgan was born into slavery in Virginia. He was freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. He later became the first African American to earn degrees from Harvard University and its law school. He was also the first black alderman (a type of city leader) in New England. As a lawyer, he fought many cases for civil rights. He even helped close a school that separated students by race. He helped start the Niagara Movement and the Boston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
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Early Life and Education
Clement Garnett Morgan was born on January 9, 1859. He was born into slavery in Stafford County, Virginia. In 1863, he and his family were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. They then moved to Washington, D.C. There, Clement went to M Street High School. He also learned the skill of being a barber.
After high school, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri. He taught for four years at a school for black children.
Pursuing a Top Education
Morgan wanted the best education possible. He moved to Boston and attended the Boston Latin School. He studied there for two years to get ready for college. He won several awards for his speaking and reading skills. He graduated with high honors in 1886. He was 27 years old when he started at Harvard University that same year.
While at Harvard, Morgan paid for his studies by working as a barber. He also won several scholarships. In his last year, he won a top prize for public speaking. His classmate, W. E. B. Du Bois, came in second. Morgan earned his first degree, a B.A., in 1890. He then earned his law degree, a LL.B., from Harvard University Law School in 1893. He was the first African American to get both of these degrees from Harvard.
Harvard "Class Day" Speech
Each year, Harvard seniors chose a classmate to give a speech. This speech happened on "class day," just before graduation. In October 1889, Clement Morgan was chosen to give this important speech. This was a big deal. He was the first African American to be chosen for this honor. He was also the first student from a working-class background to be selected. This honor usually went to students from very wealthy families.
Morgan's selection made news across the country. Most newspapers praised him. Harvard officials tried to avoid too much attention. They wanted to show that he was chosen based on his talent, not his race. Morgan himself did not talk to the press. A newspaper article from 1889 described him as a "dignified young man." It also mentioned his "wide forehead and brilliant eyes."
There was a strict process to choose students to speak at the main graduation ceremony. Morgan's speech was among the top six. However, some faculty members did not want two African American students to speak at graduation. After a big discussion, they decided to replace Morgan with a white student. One professor, James B. Thayer, quit the committee because of this unfair decision.
Career and Civil Rights Work
After finishing law school, Morgan became a lawyer. He opened his own law office in Boston.
Fighting for Civil Rights
Morgan was interested in civil rights even as a student. In 1890, he gave a powerful speech in Boston. He spoke about the importance of "Race Unity." He told people that education was key. He urged African Americans to save money and send their children to college. He also proudly declared, "I am glad to be a negro and I mean it from the bottom of my heart."
As a lawyer, Morgan took on many civil rights cases. In 1903, he helped black parents in Sheffield, Massachusetts. These parents refused to send their children to a separate school for black students. Morgan successfully represented them. Because of his work, the segregated school was closed down.
Morgan was one of the first members of the Niagara Movement. This was a civil rights group started by W. E. B. Du Bois in 1905. Morgan represented the Massachusetts chapter. He and others, like Butler R. Wilson and William Monroe Trotter, disagreed with Booker T. Washington's approach. Washington believed in working slowly for equality. Morgan and others wanted faster change. Morgan later joined the Boston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
In 1915, Morgan and Wilson worked together again. They tried to ban the film The Birth of a Nation from Boston theaters. This movie showed African Americans in a very negative way. It also praised the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), a hateful group. Many protests happened in Boston against the film. Morgan even demanded that the mayor be removed for not banning the movie. The film was finally banned in 1921.
City of Cambridge Service
Morgan was active in the Republican Party. In 1894, he was elected to the Cambridge Common Council. He served two one-year terms. In 1896, he made history again. He became the first African American to be elected to the Cambridge Board of Aldermen. He was also the first black alderman in all of New England. After he was sworn in, city leaders held a special dinner to honor him. He served on the board in 1897 and 1898. He later ran for the state legislature but did not win.
Personal Life
Morgan lived in Cambridge for many years. In 1897, he married Gertrude Wright in Springfield, Illinois. They moved to a new home in Cambridge. His obituary does not mention any children.
The Morgans were part of several social clubs in the city. They belonged to the Omar Khayyam Circle. This was a group for black writers and thinkers. They met at the home of Maria Louise Baldwin.
Death and Legacy
Clement Morgan passed away on June 1, 1929. He died at Corey Hill Hospital in Brookline, Massachusetts.
A park in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is named after him. It is called Clement G. Morgan Park. It was dedicated on February 11, 1991. There is a plaque and a mural at the park to remember him.
Images for kids
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Niagara Movement meeting in Fort Erie, Canada, 1905. Morgan is second from the left in the front row.
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Clement G. Morgan Park, Cambridge, Massachusetts
