Overview

On the night the Titanic sank beneath the North Atlantic, one man made a choice that would define his legacy for more than a century. Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche; a Haitian-born engineer, a devoted husband, and the only known Black passenger aboard the ill-fated ship; ensured his wife and young daughters were safely placed in a lifeboat before he stepped back into the freezing night. He would never be seen again. But Joseph's story began long before that moment. Born into a proud Haitian family shaped by discipline and education, Joseph traveled to France with hopes of building a future through engineering and merit. Instead, he encountered barriers that no amount of achievement could fully overcome. In a country that spoke of equality yet struggled to practice it, Joseph forged a life defined by perseverance, responsibility, and quiet dignity. His marriage to Juliette Lafargue, a young Parisian woman, deepened his purpose and strengthened his resolve to build a stable life for their growing family. When opportunity finally emerged in Haiti, Joseph saw the promise of home as a path toward recognition and security. The family's voyage aboard the Titanic was meant to mark the beginning of a new chapter; a return to possibility. Instead, it became one of the most poignant and overlooked human stories of the disaster. This deeply researched biography restores Joseph Laroche to the historical record not simply as a passenger number, but as a man of conviction, sacrifice, and profound love. From the streets of Cap-Haïtien to the corridors of Paris, from systemic barriers to a final act of courage, this book explores the arc of a life shaped by hope, responsibility, and the quiet strength of choosing others before oneself.

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Dianna Aubin enjoys reading, hiking, gardening, travelling, writing, playing video games with her husband and playing with her two little cats.

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