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San Antonio Black Lawyers Association: Rooted in Struggle, Support, and Success By Doris White
From Left: Clarence Williams’ funeral program; Harry Bellinger’s funeral program; Clarence and Gloria McGowan on their wedding day; and Hattie Briscoe in court. Photo credits: Funeral program for Judge Clarence Williams, August 31, 1996 and funeral program for Harry Bellinger, July 20, 1991, both courtesy of the San Antonio Public Library in partnership with The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the University of North Texas Libraries. Clarence and Gloria McGowan pictured in the September/October 2009 San Antonio Lawyer. Hattie Briscoe pictured (left) in the January/February 2012 San Antonio Lawyer. Photo of Hattie Briscoe on the next page is courtesy of UTSA.
T
he history of San Antonio Black Lawyers Association (SABLA) is rooted in the experiences of the African American men and women who served our legal profession in Texas courts that were far from diverse. Indeed, the earliest Black1 attorneys here faced segregated courtrooms, separate public accommodations, and a closed professional cohort, as they sought to become productive practitioners in this former Confederate state. Much praise is due our evolved legal system, where Black citizens now inhabit numerous spaces in today’s courthouses—from judicial chambers and prosecution and defense tables to clerks’ offices, and every place inside. Yet, to accurately assess the impact of SABLA on our profession and our community, it may be important to briefly consider those Black pioneering lawyers who courageously fought to remove barriers from local courthouses so that all might gain entry.
Oliver W. Johnson, Sr. Oliver W. Johnson, Sr., born in San Antonio during the latter years of the 19th century, was an early Black lawyer in the city. In 1920, he was licensed to practice law in
18 San Antonio Lawyer | sabar.org
Texas and did so for more than half a century. Reportedly a general practitioner, he confined his work to the local area. According to one source, he maintained an office on the West Side, adjacent to the Missouri Pacific Railroad Station in an established Black neighborhood. The archives of the San Antonio Register (the newspaper published by Black journalists and catering to the African American community) reveal that Attorney Johnson was involved in two cases that garnered much publicity, both involving litigation between Black Baptist church leadership and disgruntled congregants. In 1947-48, Johnson won a temporary injunction on behalf of a churchgoer who also filed a defamation action against his pastor, seeking $10,000. Although the 57th District Court (Judge C.K. Quin) granted the injunction, Judge Delos Finch of the 73rd District Court dismissed the action.2 In the summer of 1955, Johnson represented a similarly unhappy Baptist plaintiff who sought to prevent a minister from entering church premises, but Judge Quin dissolved the temporary injunction and dismissed the case. (In a bit of classic irony, the Register ran the article about the 1955 case on the same page as another piece announcing the
defendant’s appearance as guest speaker at a school graduation!)3 Perhaps Attorney Johnson’s signature contribution to our professional community occurred on Saturday, September 8, 1956, when he was admitted to membership in the San Antonio Bar Association (SABA). In writing about the first Black lawyer to gain such admission, the Register noted, “Negro lawyers have practiced here for more than half a century, but none, prior to Johnson, ever applied for membership.” Johnson claimed his interest in the formerly all-white SABA grew out of a television appearance as a grand juror, where others asked him why he did not belong to the organization. He later earned recommendations of SABA members Al M. Heck and Herman A. Knopp, joining the group during the tenure of SABA President Michael J. Kaine.4 The 88th Annual Meeting of the State Bar of Texas honored Mr. Johnson with a certificate saluting more than fifty years of service to the local community and to our profession. He was also active with the Masons, Tom Lodge #100 for many decades. Ill health led to the veteran attorney’s retirement in the 1970s. After a lengthy illness, Oliver W. Johnson, Sr. died on Christmas Eve 1979.5
