Harriet McBryde Johnson

Harriet McBryde Johnson (July 8, 1957 - June 4, 2008) was an American author, attorney, and disability rights activist. She was disabled due to a neuromuscular disease and used a motorized wheelchair.

Johnson, who was born in eastern North Carolina, lived most of her life in Charleston, South Carolina. [ [http://www.nd.edu/~ndr/issues/ndr8/johnson/bio.html Harriet McBryde Johnson] , "Notre Dame Review" website (accessed June 7, 2008)]

In 2002 Harriet Johnson debated Peter Singer, challenging his belief that parents ought to be able to euthanize their disabled children. "Unspeakable Conversations," Johnson's account of her encounters with Singer and the pro-euthanasia movement, was published in the "New York Times Magazine" in 2003.

She wrote "Too Late to Die Young" in 2005 and "Accidents of Nature" in 2006.

During her career as an attorney she specialized in helping people who couldn't work get Social Security benefits. She was also chairwoman of the Charleston County Democratic Party. She expressed support for Congress during the Terri Schiavo case. [ [http://www.slate.com/id/2115208/ Why Congress was right to stick up for Terri Schiavo by Harriet McBryde Johnson] "Slate"]

In 1990 she drew national attention for her opposition to the annual "Jerry Lewis muscular dystrophy telethon". Lewis told the "Chicago Tribune" he had no intention of making peace with opponents such as Johnson. He likened the idea of meeting with them to entertaining Hezbollah or insurgents in Iraq. Johnson described the telethon as "the charity mentality" and decried its "pity-based tactics".

In 2003 Johnson was named Person of the Year by "New Mobility".

Johnson died at home on June 4, 2008. [ [http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/jun/04/attorney_activist_harriet_mcbryde_johnso43325/ Attorney, activist Harriet McBryde Johnson dead at age 50] "Charleston.net"] [ [http://www.disaboom.com/Blogs/disabled_politico/archive/2008/06/05/harriet-mcbryde-johnson-s-last-interview.aspx Noted civil rights lawyer Harriet McBryde Johnson dead at 50] "Disaboom.com"]

Published works

* [http://newmobility.com/articleView.cfm?id=98&srch=Cuba Return to Cuba] (May 1998)
* [http://newmobility.com/articleView.cfm?id=143&srch=Harriet Power Dressing] (December 1998)
* [http://newmobility.com/articleView.cfm?id=198&srch=Harriet A Celebration for the Day of the Dead] (October 1999)
* [http://newmobility.com/articleView.cfm?id=288&srch=The%20DNC Conventional Wisdom] (September 2000)
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9401EFDC113BF935A25751C0A9659C8B63 Unspeakable Conversations] , "The New York Times", February 16, 2003
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9E06E1D71138F930A15752C1A9659C8B63&scp=1&sq=the%20disability%20gulag&st=cse The Disability Gulag] (November 2003)
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E3DA143EF933A05756C0A9629C8B63&scp=5&sq=harriet+mcbryde+johnson&st=nyt Stairway to Justice] (May 2004)
* [http://www.slate.com/id/2115208/ Not Dead at All: Why Congress was right to stick up for Terri Schiavo] (March 2005)
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4559250 Schiavo’s Disability Rights] (March 2005)
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64571-2005Mar24.html “Overlooked in the Shadows] (March 2005)
*"Too Late to Die Young: Nearly True Stories From a Life" (2005)
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/magazine/23lives.html?scp=3&sq=harriet+mcbryde+johnson&st=nyt Wheelchair Unbound] (April 2006)
*"Accidents of Nature" (2006)
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/25/opinion/25johnson.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=harriet+mcbryde+johnson&st=nyt&oref=login Alas for Tiny Tim, He Became a Christmas Cliché] , "The New York Times", (December 25, 2006)
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/closeup/13questions/harriet_mcbryde_johnson.shtml 13 Questions,” BBC Ouch!] (May 2008)

References