Julia Pearl Hughes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julia Pearl Hughes
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| Born | March 19, 1873 |
| Died | September 14, 1950 (aged 77) |
| Other names | Julia P. H. Coleman, Julia Coleman-Robinson |
| Occupation | pharmacist, entrepreneur, business executive |
| Spouse(s) | James Harold Coleman, Rev. John Wallace Robinson |
Julia Pearl Hughes (born March 19, 1873 – died September 14, 1950) was an amazing woman who achieved many things. She was also known as Julia P. H. Coleman or Julia Coleman-Robinson. Julia was a pharmacist, a business owner (an entrepreneur), and a social activist. She made history as the first African-American woman pharmacist to own her own drug store. Later in her life, she was also the first African-American woman to run for a public office in New York State.
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Early Life and Education
Julia Hughes was born in Melville Township, Alamance County, North Carolina. This was near the city of Mebane, North Carolina. She was the sixth of eight children born to John and Mary (Moore) Hughes.
She went to local schools for her early education. Then, she attended Scotia Seminary in Concord, North Carolina. This school is now known as Barber-Scotia College. Julia graduated from there in 1893. After teaching school for a few years, she decided to study pharmacy. She enrolled at the "Pharmaceutical College" of Howard University. Today, this is called the College of Pharmacy. She earned her degree in pharmacy (a Pharm.D) in 1897.
Starting Her Career and First Marriage
After finishing her studies, Julia Hughes moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, she managed the pharmacy at the Frederick Douglass Hospital. This hospital is now known as Mercy-Douglass Hospital. While working there, she also took advanced classes at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. This college is now part of the University of the Sciences.
In 1899, Julia opened her very own drug store. It was called the Hughes Pharmacy and was located on Christian Street in south Philadelphia. This was a big achievement! She became the first African-American woman pharmacist to own and run her own drug store. A newspaper at the time said she had "every prospect of success." It noted that her store was "elegantly appointed" and already making good money.
On February 16, 1900, Dr. Hughes married James Harold Coleman. He was a newspaperman from Richmond, Virginia. The couple moved to Newport News, Virginia. For four years, Julia continued to run her own pharmacy there. In 1912, James Coleman started working as an agent. He helped black settlers move to a planned all-black town called Blackdom, New Mexico. This town was in Chaves County, New Mexico, near Roswell, New Mexico.
James went to New Mexico, but Julia moved to Washington, D.C.. She lived with her stepmother and other family members. By 1916, Julia and James had divorced. They did not have any children.
Hair Care-Vim Chemical Company
After her divorce, Dr. Julia P. H. Coleman stopped running her drug store. In March 1914, she started a weekly newspaper called the Washington Sun with T. Thomas Fortune.
While working on the newspaper, she also explored other ways to earn a living. She became a hairdresser. Because she was an experienced chemist, she began experimenting. She created different mixtures to help grow and straighten kinky hair. She also worked on products to get rid of dandruff. Soon, she developed her own shampoos, soaps, powders, and lotions.
In 1909, Dr. Coleman and her husband at the time had started the Columbia Chemical Company. Their goal was to make and sell a hair product called "Hair-Vim." This product was made especially for African American women. The company closed in September 1910.
After returning to Washington, Dr. Coleman started a new business. With only five dollars, she created the "Hair Care-Vim Chemical Company." She was the "president and manager" of her new company. This company focused on making and selling "Hair-Vim." She first set up her shop on Florida Avenue. Later, she moved the business to her stepmother's home on U Street in Washington, D.C..
Dr. Coleman's business was very successful. She was soon able to sell her newspaper venture. This allowed her to focus all her time on making and selling her hair lotions, soaps, face creams, and shampoos. In July 1916, she expanded her company's activities to nearby Baltimore, Maryland.
Even though other leaders like Madame C. J. Walker and Annie Turnbo Malone were already very big in this field, Dr. Coleman was smart. She used clever marketing to keep Hair-Vim in business for almost thirty years. She gave free products to beauty parlors. She encouraged shop owners to use her products on their customers. She also followed the lead of Madame Walker and Mrs. Malone. She developed "Beauty culture" schools. These schools taught people the "Hair-Vim" way of doing hair.
Standing Up Against Unfair Laws
On May 25, 1918, Dr. Coleman decided to travel to Baltimore, Maryland. She was riding on the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway. However, she was forced to give up her seat in the first-class car. This happened because of her race, due to unfair Jim Crow laws.
When she arrived in Baltimore, she got help from a local African American lawyer named W. Ashbie Hawkins. She sued the railroad company. She won her case and was given twenty dollars in damages. This was a brave step against unfair treatment.
Moving to New York
In 1919, Julia Coleman decided to open a branch of her Hair Care-Vim Chemical Company in New York City. This was reported in The Crisis, a magazine by the NAACP. She bought a five-story brownstone building in Harlem for $30,000. It was located on West 130th Street. She moved her company's operations there. This building became her home for most of the rest of her life.
Activism and Second Marriage
After settling in New York City, Dr. Coleman became very active. Besides running her company, she joined many social and progressive movements. She was a member of the National Medical Association. For a while, she served as their "pharmaceutical secretary." She was also active in the National Council of Negro Women, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the local chapter of the National Urban League. She also joined several church groups and local community groups.
For example, in December 1927, she was elected president of the Federation of Colored Women's Clubs of New York City. She was chosen partly because she had successfully led the business department of the State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs. She worked to create a home in Harlem for young girls who needed help. She also served as a leader in women's clubs with singer and organizer Nannie C. Burden.
In 1920, Dr. Coleman joined other black leaders. They included William Pickens, Chandler Owen, Robert S. Abbott, and John E. Nail. They signed a letter to Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty. They asked him to strongly pursue legal action against black nationalist Marcus Garvey. Garvey responded by calling them "race traitors." He specifically called Dr. Coleman "a hair straightener and a face bleacher."
Dr. Coleman also got involved in local politics. She was part of the Republican Party. In September 1924, she ran for the Republican Party nomination. She wanted to represent the Nineteenth District in the New York State Assembly. She said she hoped to "arouse the colored woman as never before to their political duty." However, she lost the primary election to Abraham Grenthal.
On August 12, 1930, in Washington, Dr. Coleman married the Reverend John Wallace Robinson. He was the pastor of St. Mark's Methodist Episcopal Church in Harlem. After he retired, he became the pastor of Christ Community Church of Harlem, which was founded in 1935. They were married for eleven years. Reverend Robinson passed away in November 1941.
After Reverend Robinson's death, Julia Coleman-Robinson slowly stepped back from both her business and social activities. She passed away in September 1950. She is buried next to her second husband at Frederick Douglass Memorial Park on Staten Island, New York.
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Julia Pearl Hughes
See also
In Spanish: Julia Pearl Hughes para niños
