DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about John N. Johnson. Born around 1853 in Montgomery County, Maryland, John N.
Johnson came into this world carrying some weight right from the start. His father Stephen was a preacher. His mother Delia was a laundress.
And while John was still just a child, his father was murdered. That's not a detail the marker lingers on, but it hangs there — the kind of thing that shapes a person down to the bone. He and his mother picked up and moved to Washington, D.C., and young John Johnson got to work on becoming somebody.
After he graduated from high school, he started going by Professor John N. Johnson and took up teaching. In 1876, he married a Virginian woman named Cornelia Coe, and shortly after, their son John was born.
By 1879, the young family had made their way to Texas, and the Professor kept right on teaching — in Limestone County, Robertson County, and Brazos County. But teaching, it turned out, wasn't big enough for what John Johnson was carrying inside him. He had started advocating on behalf of the black population, and in 1879 he briefly considered joining the Exodusters — black citizens migrating to Kansas to escape the race-based horrors of the post-Reconstruction era.
He thought about it. Then he stayed in Texas. That decision alone tells you something about the man.
He originally planned to become a journalist to advance his advocacy. Abandoned that. Turned to the law instead.
Now, the law didn't exactly roll out the welcome mat. The District Court of Bryan denied him — twice. Twice.
But in October of 1882, John N. Johnson was admitted to practice law. At that time, there were about twelve practicing black lawyers in the entire state of Texas.
He was one of them. And then, in February the next year, he became the first African American admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Texas. The first.
In a state that had not been inclined to make room for him. He didn't waste the moment. In August of 1883, Johnson filed six lawsuits in Brazos County against the Houston and Texas Central Railway.
The charge: charging African Americans full-price tickets while relegating them to sub-par accommodations. Six lawsuits, all at once. Johnson ultimately lost those cases.
The railway kept its practices. The courts held the line. But John Johnson had stood up in a courtroom and said: this is wrong, and I will say so on the record.
Around that same time, he served as defense counsel in the case Perry Cavitt versus State of Texas. He stayed politically active, sometimes serving as Chairman of the Brazos County Republican Convention. He was not a man who rested.
Around 1891, Johnson returned to Washington, D.C. He worked as a pension office clerk for the rest of his days. On March 13, 1906, John N.
Johnson died. The Washington Bee remembered him as, and I want to get these words exactly right — a great advocate of justice and right. Twice denied.
First admitted. Six lawsuits filed against a railroad that had decided Black passengers weren't worth full accommodations. The marker doesn't dress that up, and neither will I.
John N. Johnson showed up, every single time, and the record stands.
What the marker says
Born in Montgomery County, Maryland, around 1853 to Stephen, a preacher, and Delia, a laundress, John N. Johnson was an early African American attorney and civil rights activist. When he was a child, his father was murdered. He and his mother then moved to Washington, D.C. After Johnson graduated from high school, he styled himself "Professor John N. Johnson" and began teaching. In 1876, Johnson married Virginian Cornelia Coe. Shortly after, their son, John, was born. The young family moved to Texas by 1879. Johnson continued teaching in Limestone, Robertson and Brazos counties. He began advocating on behalf of the black population. In 1879, Johnson briefly considered joining the "Exodusters," black citizens migrating to Kansas to escape race-based horrors of the post-Reconstruction era, but he ultimately stayed in Texas. Wishing to advance his advocacy, Johnson originally planned to become a journalist, but abandoned that plan in favor of studying the law. After being twice denied by the District Court of Bryan, Johnson was admitted to practice law in Oct. 1882. There were about 12 practicing black lawyers in Texas at the time. In February the next year, he was the first African American admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Texas. He sought to use his legal prowess to fight racial injustices. In August 1883, Johnson filed six lawsuits in Brazos County against the Houston & Texas Central Railway for charging African Americans full price tickets while relegating them to sub-par accommodations. Johnson ultimately lost these lawsuits. At the same time, Johnson served as defense counsel in the case Perry Cavitt v. State of Texas. Johnson remained politically active, sometimes serving as Chairman of the Brazos County Republican Convention. Johnson returned to Washington, D.C. around 1891 and worked as a pension office clerk until his death on March 13, 1906. The Washington Bee remembered Johnson as "a great advocate of justice and right." (2021)