East Side Freedom Library

History Revealed: "Hope in the Struggle" with Josie Johnson and Tish Jones, 2/23/21


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How did a Black woman from Texas become one of the most well-known civil  right activists in Minnesota? After seven decades of speaking up and  standing up, of fighting for fairness in voting, housing, education, and  employment, Dr. Josie Johnson has finally written her memoir. "Hope in  the Struggle" gives us an opportunity to not only learn about her, but  to learn from her.  

Dr. Johnson’s story began in segregated Texas, where her father  organized against the Poll Tax, launching her on a lifetime of activism  which brought her to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, where she  cast her vote for Barack Obama for president.   Her memoir offers a close-up picture of what that struggle has  entailed, whether working as a community organizer for the Minneapolis  Urban League or lobbying for fair housing and employment laws,  investigating civil rights abuses or co-chairing the Minnesota  delegation to the March on Washington, becoming the first African  American to serve on the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents or  creating the university’s Office of the Associate Vice President for  Academic Affairs with a focus on minority affairs and diversity. An  intimate view of civil rights history in the making, "Hope in the  Struggle" is a uniquely inspiring life story for these current dark and  divisive times, a testament to how one determined soul can make the  world a better place.  

ESFL and RCHS are pleased to present Dr. Johnson in conversation with an  activist from a younger generation, Tish Jones. A poet, organizer, and  educator from St. Paul, Ms. Jones is Founder & Executive Director of  TruArtSpeaks, and she has had an impact on artist-activists from coast  to coast. She has performed at The Walker Art Center, Intermedia Arts,  The Cedar Cultural Center and more. Ms. Jones’ work can be found in the  Minnesota Humanities Center’ anthology, Blues Vision: African American  Writing from Minnesota (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2015), the  2011 and 2013 Saint Paul Almanac, the Loft Literary Center’s Nation of  Immigrants audio CD highlighting the voices of their longstanding  Equilibrium Spoken Word Series, and many more spaces.

To view the video: https://youtu.be/RIqfdd_0aBI

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