Elsie Roxborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elsie Patricia Roxborough
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| Born | 1914 |
| Died | October 2, 1949 (aged 34–35) New York, New York State, U.S.
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| Cause of death | ... of sleeping pills |
| Other names | Mona Manet Pat Rico |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Writer, stylist, socialite |
| Parent(s) | Charles Anthony Roxborough II, Cassandra A. Roxborough |
Elsie P. Roxborough (born in 1914 – died October 2, 1949) was a talented writer, stylist, and socialite from Detroit. She was of mixed race and later changed her name to Mona Manet to live as a white woman. Elsie wrote a gossip column and covered cultural events for the Detroit Guardian newspaper. She was a graduate of the University of Michigan and was the first African American student to live in the dorms there. She also produced a play called Drums of Haiti by Langston Hughes with her theater group, the Roxane Players, in Detroit. Elsie died suddenly in New York City.
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Who Was Elsie P. Roxborough?
Elsie P. Roxborough was an important figure in Detroit's Black community during the early 20th century. She was known for her writing, her style, and her active social life. Her story shows the challenges and choices people faced regarding race and identity in her time.
Early Life and Family
Elsie was born into a well-known and wealthy family in Detroit, Michigan. Her family had a long history of success. Her grandfather, Charles A. Roxborough II, was born a free man in Ohio in 1856. He became a successful lawyer and politician in New Orleans. To give his children better opportunities, he moved his family from the South to Detroit in 1899. In Detroit, the Roxborough family became even more famous, with five generations of lawyers.
Elsie's family was described as "mulatto," a term used in the past for people of mixed Black and white ancestry. They were known for their light skin because of their white family members.
Elsie's parents were Charles A. Roxborough III and Cassandra (née Pease), who was also biracial. Sadly, Elsie's mother, Cassandra, passed away shortly after Elsie's younger sister Virginia was born in 1917. Elsie's father became a state senator and owned the Detroit Guardian, a weekly newspaper. The Roxborough family was powerful, rich, and highly respected within Detroit's Black community.
Education and Early Career
After finishing Northern High School in Detroit, Elsie stayed in the city for a year. She wrote a gossip column and covered cultural events for her father's newspaper, the Guardian. She also made news herself as a popular socialite.
When she was 17, Elsie had a romance with the famous boxer Joe Louis. Joe Louis was managed by Elsie's uncle, John Roxborough. However, their relationship did not last. A writer for the Detroit Tribune, Ulysses W. Boykin III, later said in 1984 that "Elsie was in love with Joe Louis, it wasn't just rumor." People in Detroit hoped they would get married, but Joe Louis was not seen as "cultured" enough for Elsie's family.
In 1935, the Chicago Defender newspaper reported on the front page that Joe Louis and Elsie both denied they were engaged. Elsie was quoted saying, "Joe and I are merely friends and my career as a writer is much more important to me than the thought of marriage." Joe Louis said, "I think Elsie is a fine girl, but... she has her books to think about."
An actress named Nimrod Carney, who knew Elsie, said that the Roxborough family's high social standing played a part in the relationship ending. She explained that "There was a class thing among blacks," and that Elsie's uncle, John Roxborough, would have tried to stop the relationship because of the differences in their backgrounds.
Elsie then continued her education. In 1934, she made history by becoming the first African American student to live in the dormitories at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Elsie was known for her striking beauty. Arthur Miller, who later became a famous playwright and worked with Elsie at The Michigan Daily newspaper, called her "a beauty, the most striking girl in Ann Arbor."
She also briefly dated the famous writer Langston Hughes. Elsie graduated from the University of Michigan in 1937.
Later Career and Challenges
After college, Elsie produced Langston Hughes' play Drums of Haiti with her own theater group in Detroit, called the Roxane Players. However, she soon felt that racism was holding her back from achieving the success her talent deserved.
For a short time, she owned a modeling studio in California, using the name Pat Rico. Then, she moved to New York City, hoping to become a famous writer. In New York, she decided to live as a white woman, using the name Mona Manet. She wrote articles for magazines, plays, and even sold a screenplay to Hollywood.
Elsie was described as ambitious and determined, but she also faced challenges. She worked hard to become a successful playwright and to overcome the difficulties of racism and sexism in her career.
Elsie Roxborough's death was big news in Detroit. The Michigan Chronicle newspaper reported on October 8, 1949, that "Energetic people find it hard to sleep at times. Sleeping pills come in handy. But sometimes one can take too many. Elsie took too many." Her death certificate listed her as white.
