Arthur McWatt
*Arthur McWatt was born on this date in 1926. He was a Black educator, author, activist, and administrator.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Arthur Chandler McWatt lived his life with honor and integrity. As a child, he and his Black Boy Scout friend encountered racism in the fact that although the St. Paul YMCA offered the use of its pool to Scouts, Black Boy Scouts could swim only once a week on a night designated for Blacks. After high school, he left St. Paul by train and headed for basic training at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi. He earned a bachelor's Degree in Education and a Masters's Degree in History at the University of Minnesota.
He taught history for 33 years in St. Paul Public Schools. "Chan," as his close friends called him, put great effort and energy into ending discrimination. He was husband to the late Kathleen McWatt and served on the Catholic Inter-Racial Committee, St. Paul Human Rights Commission, and the St. Paul NAACP. He wrote an award-winning book about the Civil Rights struggle in Minnesota, "Crusaders for Justice," and published various essays, short stories, and periodicals. Arthur McWatt died on April 3rd, 2012.
