• Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche - The Only Black Man On The Titanic

  • May 8 2025
  • Length: 13 mins
  • Podcast

Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche - The Only Black Man On The Titanic

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  • Summary

  • Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche (1886–1912) was a Haitian-born engineer who in 1904 became the only Black student in his class at the École Centrale Paris. After graduating, racial barriers kept him from securing an engineering post in France, so he returned to Haiti and worked briefly before marrying and starting a family. In 1912, Laroche and his pregnant wife and two young daughters booked passage on the RMS Titanic bound for a new life in America. Tragically, he perished when the ship sank on April 15, 1912—his wife and children were lost as well. Though his life was cut short, Laroche’s ambition and achievements still resonate as a testament to perseverance against prejudice.
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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.