Dr. John Lawrence Sullivan Holloman

"Dr. John Lawrence Sullivan Holloman, Jr. (known by friends as Mike) was an accomplished physician who practiced medicine with a never-ending passion. And when faced with issues he deemed worthy of broader attention his passion readily evolved into activism.”

As the grandson of enslaved people and a graduate of the prestigious Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Washington, DC, he went on to medical school at the University of Michigan. Following service in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, Dr. Holloman completed his residency at Harlem Hospital Center. While in private practice in Harlem, he served thousands of families for many years while simultaneously serving as an instructor and mentor to generations of physicians at Harlem Hospital.

Always concerned about the healthcare of the needy he fought tirelessly for the poor, at times attacking the American Medical Association for racist practices. Of special note was Dr. Holloman’s presence on the Selma to Montgomery march where Congressman Charles Rangel said, “Martin Luther King was leading the march but Mike was keeping us together.”

Dr. Holloman’s leadership positions included President of the National Medical Association, the President of New York City’s Health and Hospitals Corporation, and as a founding member of the Medical Committee for Civil Rights, the medical arm of the Civil Rights Movement. Many times, while leading and participating in organizations he was simultaneously providing healthcare to the homeless, advocating for the incarcerated and / or campaigning for national health insurance.

Watch Dr. John L. S. Holloman, Jr.'s biography video below.

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