Vivian Johnson

A Dream Deferred Vivian Johnson

What happened to a dream deferred? Dr. Edward Haynie, an African-American and third generation educator, fought discrimination while trying to advance. His lifelong dream of becoming a dentist to serve his community was systematically haltered by institutional racism both subtle and direct. Author Vivian Johnson details his thought provoking true story. His Dream instilled in him as a child by his uncle, was obstructed by the prejudice of Caucasian professors who manipulated the system to his disadvantage. Haynie, a bright, young, enthusiastic chemistry professor, became the first African-American accepted in the first class of Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine at Edwardsville, Illinois in 1972. Little did he know "the powers that be" would foil his every effort to be the best dental student possible. Haynie's courage persisted as he filed a discrimination suit with the support of the NAACP for the psychological torture he endured. He paved the way for other African-American students to succeed in future attempts to obtain a Doctor of Dental Medicine from SIU-E. This story, set in the 1970's, unveils the inequities that still persist in higher education today.