Gloria Johnson-Powell facts for kids

Gloria Johnson-Powell (born Gloria Johnson, 1936 – October 11, 2017) was a very important child psychiatrist. She also played a big role in the Civil Rights Movement. She was one of the first African-American women to become a tenured professor at Harvard Medical School. This means she earned a permanent teaching position there.

Her Life and Work

Gloria Johnson-Powell grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. She went to Boston Latin Academy for her schooling. In 1958, she earned her first degree in economics and sociology from Mount Holyoke College. She then went on to get her medical degree (M.D.) in 1962 from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.

After medical school, she completed her special training at UCLA. She taught there for 15 years. Later, she joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School, where she taught for 10 years. She also worked at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. There, she was an associate dean, helping to make sure the school welcomed people from all backgrounds. She was also a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics.

Helping with Civil Rights

Gloria Johnson-Powell was a key person in the Civil Rights Movement. This movement worked to end unfair treatment and segregation against African Americans. In his 1999 book, The Children, author David Halberstam recognized her as one of the most important figures in this movement.

Her Important Studies

Gloria Johnson-Powell wrote a book called Black Monday's Children. This book looked at how ending segregation in schools affected Black children in the southern United States. Segregation meant that Black and white students had to go to separate schools. Her work showed the impact of these changes on young people. She continued to work with children from minority groups throughout her career.

She also wrote a book about her mother's life. She worked on this biography with her own daughter.

Her Passing

Gloria Johnson-Powell passed away on October 11, 2017. She was 81 years old. She died in Hamburg, Germany.

Her Books and Works

• Black Monday's Children: A Study Of The Effects Of School Desegregation On The Self-Concepts Of Southern Children
• The Psychosocial Development of Minority Children editor Brunner/Mazel New York 1983 ISBN: 0-87630-277-0
• The House On Elbert Street: The Biography Of A Welfare Mother
• Transcultural Child Development: Psychological Assessment and Treatment co-editor with Joe Yamamoto Wiley New York 1997 ISBN: 0-471-17479-3