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Nia Coleman

Nia Coleman was a Black American pediatric nurse and hemophilia-variant carrier in Hampton, Virginia, and the widowed mother of Parker, Tillie, Jada, and Zara Coleman. Her employment supplied the household’s income and health insurance during Jo’s life and after his death.

Family and Household

Nia and Jo had four children. Jo provided much of the children’s daily care while Nia worked outside the home. He later died, leaving Nia as the household’s sole parent.

After Parker left for Georgetown, he insisted that Tillie take his former bedroom. Jada and Zara continued sharing another room instead of all three girls remaining together.

Nia’s evening routines reflected the household’s financial strain. She drank strong coffee even when she knew the caffeine would keep her awake and disliked hot tea. The home’s aging water heater provided weak and short-lived hot water.

Work and Financial Strain

Nia worked as a pediatric nurse in Hampton. Her employment supplied the family’s income and health insurance while Jo managed the household and cared for the children.

Nia could not always leave work when Parker needed medical care in Baltimore. Parker and Tyrone Morgan helped direct money to the Coleman household, with Alexander Morgan giving Ty an additional five hundred dollars per week so the young men could eat while also helping Nia and the girls.

Dinah Morgan’s Care Packages

Dinah Morgan sent Nia smaller care packages for several years after learning how badly the Coleman household was struggling. Dinah told Nia that Black mothers needed to support one another and adjusted the gifts because she knew larger offers initially made Nia uncomfortable.

In December 2014, Dinah sent four large boxes labeled for Nia, Tillie, Jada, and Zara. The girls received minky blankets, winter coats, gloves, hats, favorite snacks, cash, and store gift cards. Nia’s box included a Keurig KMini and pods, chocolate-covered coffee beans, one thousand dollars, winter items, gift cards, and a note telling her the money was for good things because she deserved them.

Nia tried the coffee beans near midnight while physically exhausted but unable to sleep. Tillie used the new body-care items and blanket after a short lukewarm shower, then fell asleep while tired and developing a headache before her SAT subject tests.

Family and Core Relationships

Joseph Coleman

Main article: Joseph Coleman and Nia Coleman

Jo was Nia’s husband and the father of her four children. He died from hemophilia complications around 2004. Nia was with him and held him as he died. She remembered him crying from pain and exhaustion and continuing to fight for her and the children.

Jo supplied both an affected X chromosome and a Y chromosome to Parker through paternal nondisjunction; Nia supplied Parker’s other X. Nia’s own hemophilia variant was not the variant Parker inherited.

Parker Coleman

Parker was Nia’s eldest child and only son. He lived several hours away with Ty while managing serious blood disorders and remained involved in supporting his mother and sisters.

Tillie, Jada, and Zara Coleman

Tillie was Nia’s eldest daughter, followed by Jada and Zara. The girls remained in the Hampton household during the December 2014 care-package sequence.

Dinah Morgan

Dinah’s support developed through repeated contact rather than a single gift. She used the care packages to provide both household necessities and personal items that Nia and the girls would not otherwise have been able to afford.

Memorable Quotes

No verified exact quotation is currently available.

Characters Supporting Characters Living Characters Black Characters Black American Characters Coleman Family