William Pickens facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Pickens
Born	January 15, 1881 Anderson County, South Carolina
Died	April 6, 1954
Occupation	Orator, educator, journalist, essayist

William Pickens (born January 15, 1881 – died April 6, 1954) was an important American speaker, teacher, writer, and journalist. He wrote many articles and speeches. He also wrote two books about his own life. These books were called The Heir of Slaves (1911) and Bursting Bonds (1923). In his books, he wrote about unfair attacks on Black people. These included riots in 1919 and lynching in 1921. His writings asked for freedom and equal rights for Black Americans. He spent much of his life traveling to speak about freedom for Black people. He also helped share the ideas of another famous leader, W.E.B. Du Bois.

William Pickens' Life Story

Pickens was born on January 15, 1881, in Anderson County, South Carolina. His parents were formerly enslaved people who worked as farmers. He grew up mostly in Arkansas. Before moving to Arkansas, he had some basic schooling. For his first year in Arkansas, he stayed home. He helped his parents work in the fields to pay off their family's debts.

Moving to Argenta for Education

In 1890, Pickens and his family moved to Argenta. His mother wanted him and his siblings to get a better education. She hoped they would have more chances to succeed. This move helped Pickens learn more and meet new people. In Argenta, school lasted for nine months each year. This gave Pickens more time to study. Before going to school in Argenta, Pickens taught himself to write. He started his new school three months late. But he quickly grew to love learning and studying. Even though he started late, Pickens became the top student in his class within three months. He always got perfect scores in math.

At the end of his first school year, Pickens received a gift. It was from one of his teachers. He got it for always being on time and never missing school. The gift was a book called Our Manners and Social Customs. This was the first book Pickens read just for fun. It was not a school book.

Facing Challenges and Staying Strong

When Pickens was thirteen, his mother passed away. This happened at the start of his fourth year at the Argenta school. Her death made him feel sad and confused. But he felt sure that his mother wanted him to keep working hard. This thought gave him confidence in himself.

When Pickens started high school in Argenta, he quickly became the best in his Algebra class. Some of his classmates were jealous of his success. They made fun of him and teased him. But Pickens kept working hard. He did not let their teasing stop him from studying. Their unkindness only made him want to work harder. He wanted to prove himself and make a name for himself.

Higher Education and Early Writings

William Pickens studied at several colleges. He earned a bachelor's degree from Talladega College in 1902. He also got a bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1904. At Yale, he joined a special honor society called Phi Beta Kappa. He also won an award for speaking, called the Henry James Ten Eyck Prize. Later, he earned a master's degree from Fisk University in 1908. In 1915, he received another degree from Selma University.

In 1911, he published his first autobiography, The Heir of Slaves. This book shared his experiences as a Black man. It described what life was like in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 1920, he joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He was an active member of this group for over twenty years.

In 1923, he released a second version of his life story. It was called Bursting Bonds. This book became his most famous work.

Later Life and Legacy

Later in his life, Pickens traveled the world. He spoke to people, encouraging Black communities to become more active. In his speeches, he shared the ideas of W.E.B. Du Bois. He strongly supported freedom for his race.

Pickens married Minnie Cooper McAlpin(e). They had three children: William, Harriet, and Ruby. He was a Methodist. William Pickens passed away on April 6, 1954. He was buried at sea while on vacation with his wife.

In 1973, Yale University created the William Pickens Prize. This award honors Pickens for his contributions to the university. It is given to the best senior essay writer in the African American Studies department.

Four generations of the Pickens family have lived in SANS. This is a historic Black beach community in Sag Harbor. A famous guest of the Pickens family was Langston Hughes. He was Pickens' college roommate at Yale. Hughes often visited the family in the 1950s.

William Pickens' Published Works

The Heir of Slaves (1911)

Pickens wrote The Heir of Slaves to share his life story. He also wanted to show how important education is. The book tells about major events in his life in order. He shares memories of his family and teachers who helped him succeed. He also writes about how he achieved many things. He describes how teasing from classmates made him study harder. The book shows his love for learning. It also shows his strong will to prove himself as an accomplished Black man. A key message from Pickens' book is that hard work and never giving up can lead to success.

The Kind of Democracy the Negro Race Expects (1918)

In his 1918 article, Pickens wrote about what 'democracy' truly means. He said that democracy can mean different things to different people. Pickens listed six ways to understand what true democracy should be:

• Democracy in Education: This means equal learning chances for everyone, no matter their skin color. Talent should be what matters, not race.
• Democracy in Industry: This means fair sharing of wealth. It should be based on how much work people do and how well they do it.
• Democracy in State: This is a political system where everyone follows the same rules and laws.
• Democracy without Sex-preferment: This means there should be no difference in freedom based on a person's race or gender.
• Democracy in Church: This calls for equality within religious groups.
• Finally, Pickens said that no single group should have more access to public places or personal freedoms just because of their skin color.

William Pickens' Career

Teaching Career

Pickens was very good at languages. He taught several, including Latin, Greek, German, and Esperanto. He taught at his first college, Talladega College, for ten years. Then, in 1915, he started teaching at Wiley College. He also worked as a professor of sociology and a college dean at Morgan State College.

Working with the NAACP

In 1920, Pickens became a very active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He worked as a strong supporter for this organization for twenty-two years. He was first considered for a leadership role in 1916. On January 12, 1920, he was offered a position as an assistant field secretary. Pickens finished teaching at Morgan College while taking on this new role. He also served as a director of branches from 1920 to 1940.

Pickens once said, "Color had been made the mark of enslavement and was taken to be also the mark of inferiority; for prejudice does not reason, or it would not be prejudice… If prejudice could reason, it would dispel itself." This means that unfair judgment (prejudice) is not based on logic. If it were, it would disappear.

Working for the U.S. Government

From 1941 to 1950, Pickens worked for the U.S. Treasury Department. He was the director of a section that encouraged Black people to buy war bonds during World War II. In this job, he traveled a lot. He spoke to many Black communities. He also spoke to mixed groups of people. It is said that he had more direct contact with Black Americans than almost any other Black leader at that time.

Other Important Works

Pickens gave a speech called "Misrule in Hayti." This speech won him the Ten Eyck Prize for public speaking. However, he later changed his mind about some of the ideas in that speech.

Other writings by Pickens include essays and speeches like:

• "Abraham Lincoln, Man and Statesman" (1909)
• "Frederick Douglass and the Spirit of Freedom" (1912)
• "Fifty Years of Emancipation" (1913)
• "The Ultimate Effects of Segregation and Discrimination" (1915)
• "The New Negro" (1916)
• "The Negro in the Light of the Great War" (1919)
• "The Vengeance of the Gods" (1922)
• "American Aesop" (1926)

In 1943, Pickens was one of 39 government workers mentioned by a politician named Martin Dies. Dies claimed these people were connected to "Communist front organizations." There was an effort to stop paying their salaries. It was later found that Pickens was the only Black person on this list. Because of this, and public pressure, a special committee was formed to investigate the claims. This committee did not find Pickens to be disloyal or unfit for his job.