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)