On This Day In TCXPI History Hugh Mulzac became the First - TopicsExpress



          

On This Day In TCXPI History Hugh Mulzac became the First African American Captain of a United States Merchant ship when he took command of the SS Booker T. Washington on September 29, 1942. The SS Booker T. Washington was the first ship to be named after an African American. Hugh Mulzac was born March 26, 1886 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. His life at sea started right after high school when he served on British schooners. In 1918, he immigrated to the United States and within two years became the First African American to earn a shipping master’s certificate. In early 1942, he was offered command of the SS Booker T. Washington which he initially refused because the crew was all black. He stated that “under no circumstances will I command a Jim Crow vessel.” The Merchant Marines relented and agreed to an integrated crew and he commanded the ship until 1947. After the war, Hugh Mulzac could not get command of another ship because of his race and because he was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. Hugh Mulzac died in 1971 and his biography, “A Star to Steer By,” was published in 1972. Source: thewright.org/explore/blog/entry/today-in-black-history-9292012
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 13:23:10 +0000

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