Viola Mary Johnson Coleman facts for kids

Viola Mary Johnson Coleman (September 25, 1919 - October 12, 2005) was a very important doctor and activist. She was the first African-American woman doctor to practice medicine in Midland, Texas. Dr. Coleman worked hard to make sure schools and hospitals in Midland were fair for everyone, no matter their race.

In 1945, she worked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). They filed a lawsuit against Louisiana State University medical school. This was because the school would not let her in due to her race. This happened ten years before other big civil rights events like the Montgomery bus boycott and the actions of the Little Rock Nine. Her case helped NAACP lawyers fight for equal schools in the 1940s and 1950s. This included the U.S. Supreme Court case Sweatt vs Painter. Dr. Coleman was known as a kind doctor in Midland. She always helped people, even if they could not pay for their medical care.

Early Life and Education

Viola Mary Johnson Coleman was born in 1919 in New Iberia, Louisiana. Her father, Jefferson Johnson Sr., worked with lumber. Her mother, Ella Johnson, worked in homes. She had one brother, Jefferson Johnson Jr. In 1951, she married Raymond Coleman, who was a teacher. They had two sons, Conrad and Reginald.

After finishing high school at age 15, Viola went to Southern University in Louisiana. This was in the 1930s. She then taught at Grambling University. Later, she decided to study medicine instead of nursing. She felt that becoming a doctor was "where she wanted to be."

Fighting for Equal Education

In June 1946, Viola Johnson applied to Louisiana State University medical school. At that time, Louisiana had strict "Jim Crow" laws. These laws kept Black and white people separate. Viola was part of a group of activists. They worked with the Louisiana Colored Teacher's Association and the NAACP. Their goal was to challenge schools that rejected Black students because of their race.

Viola joined the case with Charles Hatfield, who wanted to go to LSU law school. Famous lawyers like Thurgood Marshall, who later became a Supreme Court Justice, represented them. Both Viola and Charles were rejected. LSU said race was the reason for rejecting Viola. A letter from June 1946 to Viola Johnson stated:

"Dear Miss Johnson, As you no doubt know, the State of Louisiana maintains separate schools for its white and colored students. Louisiana State University does not admit colored students...Southern University, located in Scotlandsville ... is the principal Louisiana university for negroes."

Louisiana and other Southern states used a Supreme Court ruling from 1938. This ruling, called Gaines v. Canada, said states had to provide in-state education for Black students. Or, they had to create a separate school for both Black and white students. Many states chose to fund education for Black students at different schools. They did not want to mix them with white students.

Viola was given money to attend an out-of-state school. So, she went to Meharry Medical College in Tennessee. In April 1947, a court in Baton Rouge ruled against Coleman. They said it was because she lived out of state. But it's important to remember that she was forced to go to another state for her education. This was because LSU rejected her based on her race.

In February 1948, she received an encouraging letter from Daniel E. Byrd. He was a field secretary for the NAACP. He wrote:

"Please don't permit those persons whose attitudes and thoughts are dwarfed to the extent that they are antebellum in their philosophy and demeanor to alarm you. Only a handful of our people want integration and it is God's valiant minority who must wage war on the insidious evils; war on a double-barreled basis. In the one barrel aimed, sighted and cocked on the laws, practices, customs and usages that keep us walled in; and the other barrel, in a like manner, cocked on the members of our group, who for a job or personal gain or for even a handout, would aid in the perpetuation of these evils. Our hope is in the youth, whose minds are not enslaved to this inferior status."

Historians say Coleman's case was very important. It happened at a time when America was figuring out what "separate but equal" really meant. This was before the big Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. After her case got attention in the media, Coleman received threats. She then moved to Texas.

Medical Career and Activism in Midland

Dr. Coleman first wanted to practice medicine in Louisiana. After finishing her training in New York, she and her husband needed money to open a medical office. Banks in Louisiana would not lend them money. Dr. Coleman did not want her parents to risk their homes for a loan. So, she started looking for work in Texas.

She heard that Midland Memorial Hospital in Midland, Texas, was hiring Black workers. This was unusual for the segregated South. Dr. Coleman sent in her information and was accepted right away. She also received a loan to start her own private practice.

At Midland Memorial Hospital, she helped make the cafeteria and hospital rooms open to everyone. She started a clinic for pregnant women. She also helped set up emergency and ambulance services. In 1975, she became the President of the Midland County Medical Society.

Dr. Coleman was also a strong supporter of equal education in Midland. In the 1960s and 70s, schools there were still separate. She was part of a court case in 1975. This case argued that the Midland Independent School District was keeping Black and Mexican-American students in separate elementary schools.

Legacy

Viola Mary Johnson Coleman passed away on October 12, 2005, at her home in Midland. She was 86 years old. Coleman High School in Midland, Texas, is named after her.

Dr. Coleman never told her family about the lawsuit against LSU. After she died, her sons found her letters about the experience. They gave these letters to the University of Texas Permian Basin Library Archive in 2009. Dr. Coleman received many awards. These included the Jefferson Award in 1992. Her granddaughter, Kathleen Green, is now a doctor. She is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology. In 2008, a statue of Dr. Coleman was placed at Midland Memorial Hospital to honor her.