James D. Corrothers
James D. Corrothers was a notable African American writer and minister born on July 2, 1869, in Cass County, Michigan. Coming from a diverse heritage that included Native American, African American, Scottish, and French roots, he experienced a unique upbringing characterized by modest means and strong religious values while living with his grandfather in South Haven, Michigan. Despite financial hardships, Corrothers aspired to become a writer, supported by community members who helped fund his education at Northwestern University. After completing his studies, he became a teacher and began writing, gaining recognition for his short stories and poems in dialect verse, particularly through his popular column "Negro Reports" in the Chicago Evening Journal. His anthology, "The Black Cat Club," published in 1902, showcased his talent for capturing the nuances of African American dialect. Throughout his life, Corrothers remained committed to his faith, which evolved through various denominations, ultimately leading to his expulsion from the Methodist Church. He published his autobiography, "In Spite of the Handicap," in 1916, where he reflected on his life experiences. Corrothers passed away on February 12, 1917, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, leaving a legacy as a significant voice in African American literature.
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James D. Corrothers
Author
- Born: July 2, 1869
- Birthplace: Cass County, Michigan
- Died: February 12, 1917
- Place of death: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Biography
James David Corrothers was born July 2, 1869, in Cass County, Michigan. Corrothers came from a multinational background: His father, James Richard Corrothers, had Native American, African American, and Scottish blood; his mother, Maggie Churchman, was African American and French.
As a very young child, Corrothers was sent to live with his paternal grandfather in South Haven, Michigan. As a result of growing up in a Scottish Irish home, Corrothers experienced a particularly Anglo upbringing. Corrothers and his grandfather lived a modest life with little money. What they lacked in finances they made up for in religion, with Corrothers living an extremely pious life.
Corrothers attended public schools and worked odd jobs to support himself and his grandfather, including shipyard work on and around Lake Michigan and working as a bootblack in a hotel. While he was working manual labor jobs, Corrothers aspired to become a writer.
Corrothers’s ambition attracted several upper-class white friends and citizens of the community, who banded together to provide him with funding to attend college. Corrothers enrolled in Northwestern University. Upon the completion of his studies, he began teaching, due largely at the urging of his close friend and fellow poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. In 1894, Corrothers married Fanny Clemens, who died around 1898. He later married music instructor Rosina Harvey.
While he was teaching, Corrothers began writing short stories and poems in dialect verse, which was becoming a popular genre, and he found himself being published in various magazines and newspapers, especially in The Century Magazine. Corrothers began writing a regular column for the Chicago Evening Journal, which consisted of humorous “Negro Reports” highlighting Corrothers’s colloquial talents. The column became very popular, and he published the collection of short reports in an anthology entitled The Black Cat Club in 1902.
Corrothers remained religious throughout his adulthood and writing career. After The Black Cat Club’s publication, he devoted himself to the Methodist faith and became a minister. After several years of service, he was expelled from the faith after being accused of attempting to soil the name of his bishop. Corrothers maintained that the charges were false and joined the Baptist faith for a short while before converting to Presbyterianism.
Throughout his preaching career, Corrothers traveled the United States, meeting a wide variety of Americans. In 1916, he published In Spite of the Handicap, an autobiography detailing his experiences.
Corrothers died February 12, 1917, in West Chester, Pennsylvania. His greatest literary talent was his ability to capture a dialect of the African American voice and share it with larger audiences.