Halle Tanner Dillon Johnson

Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons

Halle Tanner Dillon Johnson was a remarkable woman who came from a remarkable family.

Her father, Benjamin Tucker Tanner was a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Her brother, Henry Ossawa Tanner was the first African-American artist to receive international acclaim.

Yet, Johnson's achievements also need to be recognized.

In 1891, Johnson, a widow and mother of a young child, graduated from the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania. Determined to have a career, she decided to work with Booker T. Washington, providing healthcare services to students, staff and faculty at Tuskegee Institute. But before she could begin her job, Johnson had to pass a grueling ten-day medical licensing examination. Not only did she pass, but Johnson became the first woman--black or white--to pass and receive a medical license in the state of Alabama.