Alma Vessells John the quintessential community Queen Mother

Alma Vessells John, revered in the Harlem community as “Sister John”, was born on September 27, 1906, and grew up in South Philadelphia in a shotgun house as the eldest of nine children. She founded a school for practical nurses, and established a radio program called “Brown Women in White” which aired on 69 NBC stations. Later on, she created the “Alma John Shoppers’ Guide” on radio station WWRL, and “Black Pride”, the biweekly talk show she produced and hosted on WPIX Channel 11. At some point in her busy life she married C. Lisley John, with whom she had no children, but enjoyed 40 years of happiness.

A few years before her death she established the Alma John Workshops Association, Inc., an organization dedicated to community service. Sister John died on April 8, 1986, the year she was celebrating what she called a silver anniversary in radio and television, a golden anniversary in nursing and a diamond anniversary on the planet earth.

The Alma John archives are housed at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York City.

Queen mothers (also Queenmothers) are leaders and women of power in Africa. They play an important role in local government and wield social power and influence.

In celebration of “Women’s History Month”, we are honoring women within our community, both past and present, who through their painstaking efforts in the community merit the revered title of Queen Mother.

Does your community have someone who merits the title Queen Mother?
Who is she? Acknowledge her in the Comment Section below.