The Story of Juliette Derricotte

As the Whitfield Remembrance Project looks ahead to the fall, we're excited to begin planning an event that will honor the legacy of Juliette Derricotte — a respected educator, leader, and advocate.

In the fall of 1931, Dalton, Georgia, briefly became the focus of national attention following a tragic car accident involving Ms. Derricotte and several of her students. While traveling along Highway 41, their vehicle was involved in a serious crash that left Ms. Derricotte critically injured.

While she was given swift and compassionate care by a local medical establishment, the local unwritten Jim Crow rules prohibited them from taking her a few blocks to the Dalton hospital, where her life would likely have been saved.

This tragedy, although it didn’t make the local papers, caused an uproar among Fisk University and the NAACP and created a national discussion about segregated hospitals. The NAACP and the Commission of Interracial Cooperation of Atlanta instituted investigations. On behalf of Fisk University, W.E.B. DuBois investigated and wrote a report on the matter.

As we prepare for this fall’s remembrance event, we hope to highlight Juliette Derricotte’s many contributions to education and civic life. Her story is an important part of our local history, and we look forward to creating a space for learning, reflection, and honoring her memory.

More details about the event will be shared in the coming weeks.

Read more here: The Death of Juliette Derricotte by Sam Rauschenberg