Civil rights activist John T. Johnson has never had fame like his peers. No schools named after him or special events, and certainly no street signs bearing his name. Until now.
On a quiet street across from Johnson’s home, on June 27, the city of Atlanta unveiled a new street sign in West Atlanta named “Honorary John T. Johnson Way” after the longtime activist and civil servant.
The ceremony was packed with community members, friends, neighbors, city leaders and civil rights heroes. The hosts said it was a way to give him “flowers” while he’s still alive. The 88-year-old is one of the last living members of Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s “ground crew,” a street smart group of people who worked closely with MLK Jr. but received little public recognition.
“While he walked alongside giants, he had no interest in fame,” District 10 Atlanta City Councilmember Andrea L. Boone said.
Johnson was known for his lasting commitment – though some friends also joked he was a charmer to the movement’s young women. But he’s most known for an iconic 1964 pool protest in St. Augustine, FL.
He led a group of young people to a segregated hotel swimming pool, where they jumped in the water with a plan to integrate the pool. But the hotel manager caught wind of the effort and poured muriatic acid inside while Johnson and others swam.
The pool diluted the acid, but the images of the violent act became another iconic moment in the civil rights movement. For years, Johnson kept organizing thousands of people on the ground across the South.
He never reached the levels of fame held by John Lewis or former Ambassador Andrew Young, though Young attended the event and called Johnson a dear friend. The sign is his first major recognition.
“This sign may represent more than a point on a map, but who we strive to be,” Boone said. “Committed to progress, accountability and the common good.”
During the ceremony, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens thanked Johnson for “leaving something worth passing on.”
“Because you stayed course in the face of danger, our nation saw what segregation demanded,” Dickens said. “It demanded that America take a look at itself and decide whether it would keep defending the indefensible.”
Though Johnson is in his twilight years, he still works with young people across Atlanta, listening to their woes and pushing them to make a change. But now his name will last through history on J.T. Johnson Way.
See more photos from the event by Delaney Tarr below.
J. T. Johnson is a hero here in St. Augustine, Florida, and we are delighted to see Atlanta honoring him with a street name!
Curious….what was the name of the street that was just renamed? Couldn’t find it anywhere in the story.