[3] Arriving in San Francisco in 1902, Somerville initially planned to save up and attend Howard University.

In one early incident, Somerville attempted to order food from a restaurant but was told that they do not serve Black people.

[4] As he could not find employment in San Francisco, Somerville moved to Redlands, California, and worked odd jobs.

The bowling alley owner's brother-in-law taught at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California (USC).

Somerville addressed the other students by challenging their prejudiced attitudes, asserting that racism has no place in educational institutions.

Serving mostly white patients at first, Somerville's clientele became increasingly diverse over the years as more people of color moved to Los Angeles.

[8] In 1913, the Somverilles received materials from the national NAACP, asking if they would like to start a local branch of the organization and to list contacts who would support the initiative.

However, due to segregationist Jim Crow laws and redlining, many Black people could not find housing to rent or buy.

Despite initial reluctance from lenders, John was able to secure capital by obtaining commitments from 30 people willing to move into the apartments.

[1][3] These apartments were an attempt to address the unequal housing conditions for Los Angeles's Black population.

[6][3] John became aware of the exclusion brought upon by segregationist policies due to his experiences being denied rooms in white-owned hotels.

[10] In one specific incident, he was unable to find a hotel providing accommodations to Black guests during a trip to San Francisco.

Du Bois, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Bill Robinson, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, and Langston Hughes.

[3] Despite the hotel's initial success, the onset of the depression and the subsequent stock market crash in 1929 caused Somerville to lose a lot of money.

After the stock market crash, Somerville recovered financially through his dental practice and continued his involvement in political activities and civil rights.

[3][7] He served as a technical advisor for the California State Relief Administration that was established in response to the Great Depression.Somerville endeavored to integrate the Black population into the program.

[1][7] For his contributions in Anglo-American affairs, Queen Elizabeth II named Somerville an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.