Monroe Alpheus Majors facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Monroe Alpheus Majors
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Majors in 1893
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| Born | October 12, 1864 |
| Died | December 10, 1960 (aged 96) |
| Alma mater | Meharry Medical College |
| Occupation | physician, journalist, writer |
Monroe Alpheus Majors (born October 12, 1864 – died December 10, 1960) was an important American doctor, writer, and activist. He worked to make things fair for African Americans in Texas and Los Angeles. He was one of the first Black doctors in the American Southwest. He also started a medical group for Black doctors. This was because they were not allowed to join the main medical association at the time.
Majors wrote a famous book called Noted Negro Women: Their Triumphs and Activities in 1893. This book shared the stories of many successful African-American women. He also wrote for many African-American newspapers. He was an editor for the Indianapolis Freeman and the Chicago Conservator. Monroe Alpheus Majors was also the father of the well-known composer Margaret Bonds.
Early Life and Education
Monroe Alpheus Majors was born in Waco, Texas, in 1864. His parents were Andrew Jackson Majors and Jane Barringer. In 1869, his family moved to Austin. There, Monroe went to schools set up by the Freedmen's Bureau.
He attended several colleges, including West Texas College and Tillotson Normal and Collegiate Institute. He also studied at Central Tennessee College. Later, he went to Meharry Medical College in Nashville. He finished his medical studies and graduated in 1886.
A Doctor and Activist
After college, Dr. Majors returned to Texas to practice medicine. He worked in cities like Brenham, Dallas, and Calvert. He was the very first African-American doctor in Calvert. In 1886, he created the Lone Star State Medical Association. This group was for African-American doctors. It was an alternative to the American Medical Association, which did not allow Black members.
In 1888, he moved to Los Angeles. There, he gave lectures at the Los Angeles Medical College. He was also the first African American to pass the medical exam in California. Dr. Majors was very active in fighting for civil rights. He worked for fairness first in Texas and then in California. He edited a newspaper called the Los Angeles Western News. In this paper, he encouraged the hiring of African Americans for important community jobs.
Writing and Challenges
In 1889, Dr. Majors married Georgia A. Green. They moved back to Waco, Texas, in 1890. There, he continued his medical practice and taught at Paul Quinn College. He also edited a newspaper called the Texas Searchlight. He helped raise money to build a hospital. He also opened the first drugstore owned by a Black person in the American Southwest.
In 1893, he published his important book, Noted Negro Women. He wrote this book to highlight the achievements of Black women. It also showed the progress African Americans had made since slavery ended. He started writing for many national African-American newspapers, especially the Indianapolis Freeman.
In 1898, he moved to Decatur, Illinois. While there, he faced threats because he wrote against violence towards African Americans. To stay safe, he moved to Indianapolis. He became an associate editor for the Freeman newspaper. In 1899, he returned to Waco. However, safety concerns forced him to move north again. He settled in Chicago in 1901.
In Chicago, he continued to practice medicine. He also wrote for many newspapers. These included the Broad Ax, the Chicago Defender, the Washington Bee, the Peoples Advocate, and the Colored American. From 1908 to 1910, he was the editor of the Chicago Conservator.
Later Life
Monroe Alpheus Majors and Georgia A. Green divorced in 1908. In 1909, he married Estelle C. Bonds. He later married two more times. His daughter with Estelle was Margaret Allison. She grew up to be a very famous composer. When her parents divorced in 1917, Margaret's mother changed her last name to Bonds.
In the 1920s, Dr. Majors began to lose his eyesight. This made it hard for him to continue his work. He mostly retired from medicine in 1923. In 1933, he moved back to Los Angeles. He passed away there in 1960 at the age of 96.
