“There are now, people of color all over Duke Hospital and no one thinks anything of it. That would be his legacy... He said to me that when the Black medical students began to come to do, and no longer sought him out, he understood that the institution had changed. For a very long time, they always would look around the faculty and probably take a wild guess that the one African-American physician or one of a couple, probably had some say in their being there. Right, so they will go and introduce themselves. But there came a time where that changed. And that was not probably not as early as you would think. I'm sure that was well into the 80s. And, you know, a few more of them, and fewer will come by to, you know, to get advice or counsel, and that kind of thing. But to me, his legacy is that today, people just assume that Duke Hospital, that Duke Health is just an enlightened place. And I can tell you that it certainly was not. And there were individuals, not just my Dad, I've named some of them, you know, who helped to bring the institution to wisdom over its protest, sometimes kicking and screaming.”
- Charles Denton Johnson speaking about his father Charles Johnson
February is Black History Month! This year will be highlighting four Black people who advocated for racial justice at Duke Health. These individuals were profiled for the recent Bass Connections project “Agents of Change: Portraits of Activism in the History of Duke Health.” Read our profile on Brenda Armstrong here, Donald Moore here, and Joanne Wilson here.
The final person we are highlighting this year is Dr. Charles Johnson, the first tenured Black faculty member at Duke Health. He joined Duke in 1970 and was a gifted physician, dedicated mentor, and honest leader throughout his 26 years at Duke.
Dr. Johnson was born on July 28, 1927, in Acmar, Alabama. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Howard University. In addition to his formal education, he served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, where he rose to the rank of captain. On September 1, 1970, Johnson was appointed assistant professor of medicine in the Duke University School of Medicine and he moved his practice to the Private Diagnostic Clinic (PDC). In 1974, he was promoted to associate professor of medicine with tenure, and, in 1995, Johnson was promoted to full professor. He retired in 1996 but remained a professor emeritus and an active mentor and leader for Duke faculty and students until his passing.
While at Duke, Johnson served on the Medical School Admissions Committee, where he was instrumental in improving Duke's recruiting practices to attract more diverse candidates. By the time he retired, in 1996, Duke had minority faculty and house staff in every clinical department, and more minority medical students than ever. In 1997, Johnson was awarded the Medal for Distinguished Meritorious Service to Duke University, Duke's highest award. He received the Julian Abele Award for Outstanding Service to Duke University and the larger community in 1985 from the Black Professional and Graduate Students of Duke. Dr. Johnson was also an active member of the National Medical Association (NMA), the Black counterpart to the once-segregated American Medical Association. On July 29, 1990, he was inaugurated as the 89th president of the 16,000-member NMA. He also served as an advisor on aging and health issues facing African-Americans at the university, state, and national levels. He was a delegate to the 44th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1990 and was an active member of many medical, civic, and religious organizations.
Johnson led a remarkable life, shaped by his dual roles as a pioneer when he became the first Black faculty member at Duke, and an advocate for the inclusion of additional Black faculty members and medical students. As a whole, his legacy is defined by his unwavering dedication to patient care and his steadfast pursuit of excellence, both as a physician and as an individual.
Danielle Okotcha interviewed Charles Denton Johnson, son of the late Charles Johnson on January 31st, 2024. She also interviewed Dr. Eugene Wright on January 21st, 2024. Dr. Johnson was a significant mentor to Dr. Wright.
We encourage to listen to the full interviews and/or read the interview transcripts here:
https://exhibits.mclibrary.duke.edu/agents-of-change/racial-justice/charles-johnson