The first African American Ship Commander you probably never hear of! #MaritimeAffairs

Hugh Mulzac (born on 26 March 1886) was the first African American ship commander. He served on British vessels after graduating high school. He graduated from Swansea nautical college in Britain and reached the rank of a mate. He served as a ship officer in World War One. In 1918, Mulzac became the first African American to pass the shipping Master's exams. 

He joined Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in 1920 and was named an officer on SS Yarmouth, one of the Black Star Line Fleets of ships because of his history with ships. He resigned due to disagreement with Garvey and for the next two decades, he worked as a steward due to racial discrimination in the maritime industry. 

 At age 56, in 1942, his career was briefly rescued when the United States maritime commission offered him the opportunity to command the first Liberty ship named after an African American, SS Booker T Washington. He initially declined the offer because the policy wanted him to command an all black crew. After it was sorted out, he commanded an integrated crew by the National Association For Colored People. In 1947, aged 61 he resigned after he did 22 rounds of trips transporting soldiers to the pacific. 

By Kofi Sarpong