State Historical Society of Iowa

"Letter to James Weldon Johnson." November 2, 1921

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Courtesy of the University of Iowa, "Letter to James Weldon Johnson." November 2, 1921

Description

Alexander Clark, Jr., earned a law degree from the University of Iowa in 1879, likely becoming the first black person to graduate from the institution.After that, a number of other African Americans attended the university, but black students faced difficulty in finding housing. Although not explicit, the University had an unwritten policy of not allowing black students to live in on campus housing. In addition, the discriminatory practices of landlords made it difficult for black students to secure housing in the community. Some students had to go to such lengths as to take on work as live-in domestic servants to secure housing. In this letter, black law student William Edwin Taylor writes to James Weldon Johnson, the executive secretary of the NAACP, based in New York, about the housing struggles students faced and the impact this had on students' education. In his letter Taylor specifically addresses an event where the KKK organized to outbid black students for a property, which led to a landlord to break a contract with those students.

Source Dependent Questions

  • What was the purpose of William Edwin Taylor's letter to James Weldon Johnson? What was Mr. Taylor's position at the time? How does this influence the perspective of the source?
  • Summarize the conflict described in the letter. What arguments did Mr. Taylor make for why the NAACP should become involved in the issue?
  • Did this event show a commitment to supporting civil rights and liberties by Iowa communities? If yes, how? If no, why not?

Citation Information

Taylor, William Edwin. "Letter to James Weldon Johnson." November 2, 1921. Courtesy of the University of Iowa Courtesy of Library of Congress