Singing the Praises of Dr. Halle Tanner Dillon Johnson (3/30/23, Hidden City Philadelphia)

Singing the Praises of Dr. Halle Tanner Dillon Johnson

Black women’s histories have either been ignored or mentioned only in their support of Black male figures for far too long. More Philadelphians should know about and cherish the trailblazing legacy of Dr. Halle Tanner Dillon Johnson.

The Friends of the Tanner House (FOTH) is a Black-led collective of historic preservation advocates organizing to stabilize and rehabilitate 2908 W. Diamond Street, which is already registered as a National Historic Landmark. The home was added to the national register because of the well-known accomplishments of painter Henry Ossawa Tanner, whom the Smithsonian notes as the most distinguished African-American artist of the 19th century. However, the FOTH also recognizes that he was far from the only accomplished member of the Tanner family that deserves to be honored and plans to amend the national register designation to include Halle’s story.