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Joseph Laroche: The only documented black person on the Titanic

Source

www.bbc.co.uk

Published Source updated (as of )

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A black-and-white photo of a family of four. A black man in a black jacket and shirt with a ruffled Victorian-era shirt sits on a wooden chair. He has short hair and a moustache and is smiling. Next to him stands a white woman with a striped dress with a large white collar. She has a hand on his back. There are two young girls with them dressed in smart dresses and with bows in their hair.

Understand

The story of Joseph Laroche, the Titanic's only documented black passenger

Overview

Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche was the only documented black passenger on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. Born in Haiti in 1886 and educated in engineering in France, Laroche faced racial discrimination and employment challenges before deciding to move his young family back to Haiti. After trading their first-class tickets from another liner for second-class tickets on the Titanic, Laroche perished when the ship sank in April 1912, while his pregnant wife and two daughters survived. His life and legacy have recently been explored by academic Dr Carlette Norwood through a play at the Maritime Museum in Liverpool.

Key points

  • Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche was the only documented black passenger on the RMS Titanic.
  • He was born in Haiti in 1886 and was the great-great-grandson of Haiti's first emperor, Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
  • Laroche moved to France in 1901 to study engineering, where he qualified with a university degree despite facing significant racial prejudice.
  • He married a white French woman, Juliette Lafargue, and they had two daughters, Simone and Louise.
  • The family decided to move to Haiti to escape racism in France and for a teaching job organised by Laroche's uncle, the President of Haiti.
  • They boarded the Titanic as second-class passengers after trading first-class tickets from the SS France because children were not allowed to dine with parents.
  • When the Titanic sank on 14 April 1912, Laroche's pregnant wife and daughters secured spots on a lifeboat and were rescued, but Laroche died and his body was never recovered.
  • Academic Dr Carlette Norwood discovered his story and wrote a play about him to highlight successful black history beyond slavery.
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