- Joseph Laroche, a Haitian engineer, married Juliette Lafargue, the daughter of a French wine seller.
- In April 1912, the Laroches and their two daughters boarded the Titanic to return to Haiti.
- Tragically, Laroche, reportedly the only Black man on board, lost his life in the shipwreck.
The sinking of the Titanic in 1912 is one of history’s most notorious shipwrecks. However, the tale of Joseph Laroche, the only known Black man and his family aboard the ship, has been largely overlooked.
Joseph Laroche was born into a prosperous family in Haiti on May 26, 1886. He traveled to France at the age of 15 to study engineering, where he met and fell in love with Juliette Lafargue, the daughter of a wine seller. They married in March 1908.
After graduating from engineering school, Laroche faced racial prejudice in France and struggled to find well-paying employment. In 1911, he made the decision to return to Haiti, hoping to find better opportunities to support his growing family.
interracial couple on board the Titanic.
W. Mae Kent/Public Domain
Laroche’s mother gifted first-class tickets on a French steamship to welcome his new family. However, as the company banned children from dining with their parents, Laroche exchanged their tickets for second-class passage on the Titanic.
On board the ‘unsinkable’ ship
On April 10, 1912, the Laroche family boarded the Titanic amidst a crowd of admirers. As a band played the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” the Titanic, touted as a luxury cruise ship and declared unsinkable, set sail.
Joseph Laroche was reportedly the only Black man among the more than 2,000 individuals on board.
During their time on the ship, the Laroches befriended a French family, attended concerts, and watched their daughters play with other children. Juliette also discovered her pregnancy with their third child.
“The arrangements could not be more comfortable. We have two bunks in our cabin, and the two babies sleep on a sofa that converts into a bed,” Juliette wrote to her father on April 11. “Up to now, I have not felt seasick. I hope it will continue this way. The sea is very smooth, and the weather is wonderful. You should see how big this ship is!”
The tragic sinking of the Titanic
In the early hours of April 15, a steward instructed the Laroche family to put on their life jackets. The Titanic had struck an iceberg several hours earlier.
Laroche gathered their valuables, including money and jewels, and placed them in his pockets. As Juliette didn’t speak English, she relied on her husband, who was fluent, to lead her to the lifeboats.
“When the collision happened, there was a terrible panic. People were rushing to get off the boat,” Juliette later recounted. “I also felt someone grabbing me, and then a pair of hands threw me into emptiness. I found myself in a lifeboat next to my little Simonne.”
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