‘Planting Good Seeds:’ Proceeds from late alumna’s memoir support scholarship in African American Studies

To the outside observer, the late Veronica Johnson Coates (ECON ’68) might have seemed to lead an easy, charmed life: She had a loving family, operated a multi-million dollar business alongside her husband and the love of her life, owned what she described as her “dream home,” and traveled the world.

Those familiar with her history, however, knew Coates came from very humble beginnings growing up as the daughter of a sharecropper in segregated Charles County, Md. who worked tirelessly to receive an education, build an impressive career in both business and public service, and become a leader in her community.

“People may not have realized the journey it took for her to get where she ended up in life,” said Gail Coates, Veronica’s daughter. “There were certain people in her life that planted seeds and let her know there was a life outside of Charles County, Md. They helped make her who she was and she always believed in the importance of planting good seeds.”

Planting seeds for others is one of the main reasons Coates set out to write her autobiography entitled “Memoirs of My Wonderful Life,” published in 2015.

In it, she describes her fierce determination to receive a degree from the University of Maryland (UMD). After graduating Valedictorian of her high school class in the late 1950s, Coates was awarded a scholarship to UMD. However, once the university discovered she was “colored,” Coates writes in her book, her scholarship was rescinded, making it financially unfeasible for her to attend. Undeterred, Coates passed the civil service test and worked a full-time job with the federal government while taking classes at night and raising two children. She eventually reapplied to UMD and graduated with honors in 1968 with a degree in Economics.

“What a satisfaction—to graduate from the school that originally denied me because of my color!” Coates wrote in her memoir.

Coates died in November of 2017 following a battle with brain cancer, but before her death, decided that she wanted proceeds from the sale of her book to go toward a scholarship for students studying African American history.

Preserving and celebrating African American heritage was one of Coates’ lifelong passions. She co-founded the African American Heritage Society of Charles County in 1974, was appointed by former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to the Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture and developed a musical called “Gospel Roots” that chronicles African American history.

When researching the proper place to establish a scholarship in her mother’s name, Gail Coates says the University of Maryland’s Department of African American Studies provided the perfect fit.

“It seemed like a serendipitous moment—establishing this scholarship at her alma mater and a university that she’s had so many experiences with,” said Gail Coates, who is also a UMD alumna, earning a degree in business administration and finance.

Proceeds from “Memoirs of My Wonderful Life,” now available on Amazon, will go directly into the Veronica Coates Scholarship Fund, established in February of 2018 in the Department of African American Studies. Through both the scholarship and her memoir, Coates’ family members hope her story will help inspire others to realize their dreams.

“She was very big on going for her goals and finishing what she started and so I know she would encourage people to do the same thing—even if it took a long time,” said Ashley Kirby Kimbrough, Coates’ granddaughter.

Coates’ legacy lives on through her daughter, Gail, and son, Kevin Coates, as well as her four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, many of whom are following her example by going into public service and becoming involved in their communities.

“She just had a zeal for life and for people,” said Kimbrough. “She was a very hard worker and she taught us how to work hard, but also how to have fun and how important family is.”

This story was originally published August 16, 2018.

Published on Thu, Aug 16, 2018 - 2:17PM