Milton Wright (academic)
Encyclopedia
Milton S. J. Wright was an African-American academic born in Georgia. He received his B.A. from Wilberforce University
in 1926, his M.A. from Columbia University
and his Ph.D. in Economics from Germany’s University of Heidelberg in 1932, with the dissertation Die Wirtschafts Entwicklung und die Eingeborenenpolitik in den afrikanischen Schutzgebieten, 1884-1918 (Economic Development and Indigenous policy in the African Protectorates, 1884-1918). He met Adolf Hitler
at a dinner party in Heidelberg
in 1932. Hitler pointed out that blacks have no voting rights, and criticized them for being docile about their oppression, saying "Negroes must be definitely third-class people to allow white[s] to lynch them, beat them, segregate them, without rising up against them!" The Pittsburgh Courier ran a front page article on the conversation shortly after the USA entered the Second World War. Wright noted that throughout the conversation, Hitler though calm, asked questions and immediately gave his own answers. For example, he asked "Don't you think your people are destined perpetually to be slaves of one kind or another?" and replied "Yes! Your people are a hopeless lot. I don't hate them... I pity the poor devils." The conversation was dramatically reenacted in 1944 on the anti-racist radio show New World A-Coming. He became a professor and head of the department of Economics and Political Science at Wilberforce in 1933 and in 1959 he was Dean of the College.
Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University is a private, coed, liberal arts historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans...
in 1926, his M.A. from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and his Ph.D. in Economics from Germany’s University of Heidelberg in 1932, with the dissertation Die Wirtschafts Entwicklung und die Eingeborenenpolitik in den afrikanischen Schutzgebieten, 1884-1918 (Economic Development and Indigenous policy in the African Protectorates, 1884-1918). He met Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
at a dinner party in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
in 1932. Hitler pointed out that blacks have no voting rights, and criticized them for being docile about their oppression, saying "Negroes must be definitely third-class people to allow white[s] to lynch them, beat them, segregate them, without rising up against them!" The Pittsburgh Courier ran a front page article on the conversation shortly after the USA entered the Second World War. Wright noted that throughout the conversation, Hitler though calm, asked questions and immediately gave his own answers. For example, he asked "Don't you think your people are destined perpetually to be slaves of one kind or another?" and replied "Yes! Your people are a hopeless lot. I don't hate them... I pity the poor devils." The conversation was dramatically reenacted in 1944 on the anti-racist radio show New World A-Coming. He became a professor and head of the department of Economics and Political Science at Wilberforce in 1933 and in 1959 he was Dean of the College.