John J. Fatal

John J. Fatal, a school desegregation advocate and elected official, was born to parents of African and West Indian heritage. While living in Boston, Fatal joined the Boston Vigilance Committee and helped shuttle escaped slaves to Vermont and Canada on the underground railroad. Fatal became the first African American nominated to a political office in Cambridge. He declined the nomination, however, allowing his friend J. Milton Clarke to become the first African American to serve on the Cambridge Common Council.

Today this historical site is a residential building.

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