Oral history interview with Ponzella Johnson, 2021

Biographical Note

Ponzella Olivia Peterson Johnson was born Harlem, New York City. She went through the New York City public school system and graduated at the age of 17 with Regents Diploma with Honors and a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) diploma. While pursuing her bachelors' degree, Johnson worked as an LPN in Harlem Hospital's Department of Psychiatry. Johnson graduated summa cum laude with her BS in Nursing from the College of New Rochelle. Johnson worked as a Registered Nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital from 1989 to the early 2000s. She was in the Women's and Children's Services division where she specialized in high-risk pregnancy, labor, and delivery, women's reproductive health, and breast health. She received certifications in fetal monitoring, infant massage therapy, lactation consulting, and childbirth education. Johnson joined the New York City's Office of School Health in 2003 as a Public Health Nurse and joined the Harriet Tubman Learning Center (CS154M) family in the fall of 2004. As of 2022, Johnson continues to provide nursing services to the students of CS154M and also serves the Democracy Prep Endurance Charter Middle School. Johnson is a founding member of CS154M's Wellness Council which has hosted wellness fairs for the school and the surrounding community. Johnson is a member of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and is on the executive board of directors for the New York State Association of School Nurses (NYSASN). She is also a member of both the New York and National Black Nurses Association, is a member of the Nursing Leaders Sigma Theta Tau, and is the inaugural vice president for the UFT school nurses' chapter executive committee

Scope and Contents

As a long-time Harlem resident and a school nurse and public health professional at a Harlem elementary school, Ponzella Johnson shares her perspective about Columbia University's engagement with the Harlem community to help combat the negative consequences of racism in employment, healthcare, housing, and business. She also shares her perspective on how Columbia University can make improvements moving forward. The interview focuses on the following key themes: power and control, equity, communication, accountability, and responsibility

Subjects

• Abreu, Jala, interviewer.
• Columbia University.
• Community and college--United States.
• Discrimination in employment--United States.
• Discrimination in housing--United States.
• Discrimination in medical care--United States.
• Harlem (New York, N.Y.)--History.
• Harlem (New York, N.Y.)--Race relations.
• Harlem (New York, N.Y.)--Social conditions.
• Interviews.
• Johnson, Ponzella--Interviews.
• Nurses--Interviews.
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Racism--United States.

Access Conditions

Copyright by Ponzella Johnson. The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York hold a non-exclusive license to enable library activities