Inspiration for the Emmy Award-winning HBO film Something the Lord Made and the award-winning PBS documentary Partners of the Heart.

Vivien T. Thomas, a high school graduate, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Johns Hopkins University and was made a member of the medical school faculty in recognition of his contributions to the practice of cardiovascular surgery and to the education of young surgeons. Partners of the Heart is the autobiography of this extraordinary man who struggled against overwhelming odds and achieved international recognition.