Finding Hope in the Struggle
Chanda and Josie talked about Josie’s legacy of activism, how to stay connected to the struggles in community, and why understanding our history is necessary to move justice and equality forward.
Josie Johnson
Dr. Josie Johnson is a civil rights activist, civic leader, and author of “Hope in the Struggle.” At this live event, Chanda and Josie talked about Josie’s legacy of activism, how to stay connected to the struggles in community, and why understanding our history is necessary to move justice and equality forward.
As the daughter of Houston civil rights pioneers, Josie Johnson grew up with a deep concern for social justice and civil rights. After receiving her B.A. in sociology from Fisk University and her M.A. in education from the University of Massachusetts, Johnson went to work in 1956 as a lobbyist to help pass Minnesota’s anti-discrimination laws. In 1971, after teaching in the African American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota, she was appointed to the Minnesota Board of Regents, where she served until 1973. In 1992, she accepted the position as associate vice president in charge of minority affairs and directed their All-University Forum as diversity director. The University of Minnesota established the Annual Josie Robinson Johnson Human Rights and Social Justice Award in her honor.
You can see photos from this event on the Minneapolis Foundation’s Facebook page.
