Newly appointed as the City’s first ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Nolan N. Atkinson, Jr. has spent his career challenging barriers and working to make the workplace a more diverse and inclusive place.

One example of that work is a story especially close to his heart.

In 2010, Nolan petitioned to have his great-grandfather, George Vashon, posthumously admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar. Vashon’s application was refused in 1847 by the examining committee at that time who cited the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1838 “which only extended the voting franchise to ‘every white free man,'” meaning the examining committee believed  bar admissions could not be extended to people who could not vote, according to Chief Justice Castille, during the Bar Admission Ceremony.

Nolan’s passion to honor his great-grandfather began in 2008, when he was awarded the first Chancellor’s Diversity Award by the Philadelphia Bar Association. He dedicated the award to Vashon.

“I told the audience who my great-grandfather was, what he had done and what he had been denied. If not for his contributions and those of others, I would never have been a successful lawyer,” said Nolan.

George Vashon was a scholar, an educator, a poet and an activist, in addition to being a lawyer. He opened a law practice in Syracuse, New York, where he was admitted to the Bar in 1848, was a professor at  New York Central College in 1853, was principal of what was known as the Colored Public Schools in Pittsburgh in 1857, and became the first African American to teach at Howard University after the Civil War.  He was also active in the antislavery movement.

In 1868, Vashon again applied for admission to the Allegheny County Bar and was once again denied.

Nolan Atkinson speaking at Bar Admission Ceremony

Nolan decided to submit a petition to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to have his great-grandfather posthumously admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar and ultimately was successful.

Posthumous Bar Admission of George Vashon

Nolan believes that his great-grandfathers recognition was important because every person preparing to be a lawyer should know their history.

“With that knowledge, African-American applicants, many of whom have struggled in gaining entry passing the bar and achieving success in the legal profession, will now have a greater inner confidence of possessing the intellect, the tenacity and the knowledge that history stands with them as they seek admittance and success in this profession.”

During Black History Month, we’re highlighting contributions of African Americans to our city, as we honor the foundation they built, by working to build a more diverse and inclusive Philadelphia every day of the year.