J. LeRoy Baxter explained

James LeRoy Baxter (June 13, 1881 – December 9, 1954) was a dentist / oral surgeon and state legislator in New Jersey. He was elected to represent Essex County, New Jersey in the New Jersey General Assembly in 1928.^{[1] [2]}

Born in Newark, New Jersey on June 13, 1881, he graduated from Barringer High School.^[3] He was the son of James Miller Baxter who served as principal of the Newark's "Colored" school for 45 years.^{[4] [5] [6]}

He was elected as a Republican Party as one of 12 representatives from Essex County, in a General Assembly that had 60 members.^[7] While in the Assembly, he was the only Black member and worked with the NAACP and others to oppose a bill that had been introduced by a legislator in Monmouth County to ban marriage between partners of different "races".^[8]

He married Ernest Mae McCarroll, a doctor from Alabama, in 1929. She moved to Newark.^[9]

In the runup to the 1932 United States presidential election, he spoke at a rally as a former Republican Assemblyman and told a crowd of 250 Black Democrats in Red Bank that the historic overwhelming Black support of Republicans had not brought jobs and other benefits for the Black community and that they should support the Democratic candidates in that year's elections.^[10]

In 1940, The Crisis reported on a meeting held where he was branch president of a civil rights organization.^[11]

In 1953, Baxter moved to Fontana, California. He died in a San Bernardino hospital on December 9, 1954.^[12]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Votes and Proceedings of the ... General Assembly of the State of New Jersey. New Jersey Legislature General. Assembly. February 5, 1929. Google Books.
2. Web site: Acts of the Legislature of the State of New Jersey. New. Jersey. February 5, 1928. Secretary of State.. Google Books.
3. https://books.google.com/books?id=JjBSAQAAMAAJ&q=Leroy+baxter+June+13th,+1881 Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 152
4. Mr. Baxter's School. Marion. Wright. April 1, 1941. Faculty Reprints. 59. 2. 116–133.
5. Web site: Research Guides: The Newark Experience: Newark Schools: Early History through the 1920s. Natalie. Borisovets. libguides.rutgers.edu.
6. Book: Newark, New Jersey. Jean-Rae. Turner. Richard T.. Koles. February 5, 2001. Arcadia Publishing. 9780738523521. Google Books.
7. https://www.newspapers.com/image/143911701/ "Democrats Lose One Seat in House"
8. https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2018/08/18-08-20-summer-reading-2018-assessing-black-life-in-nj-from-1664-to-today/ "Summer Reading 2018: Understanding Black Life in NJ, From 1664 to Today"
9. Book: Inc, The Women's Project of New Jersey. Past and Promise: Lives of New Jersey Women. May 1, 1997. Syracuse University Press. 9780815604181. Google Books.
10. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/144616400/ "Democrats Address Red Bank Negroes"
11. Web site: The Crisis. The Crisis Publishing Company. Inc. September 5, 1940. The Crisis Publishing Company, Inc.. Google Books.
12. News: 1954-12-11 . James L. Baxter obituary . 19 . The San Bernardino County Sun . 2023-09-04.