[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 4 (Thursday, January 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E18]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING MR. ROBERT JOHNSON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST FROM GRENADA, MS

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 7, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
late Mr. Robert Johnson of Grenada, MS, a beloved civil rights activist 
and renowned public servant. He has been remembered by many as a 
fighter for justice, freedom and equality for all and a pillar of his 
community.
  Johnson was born to the late Finley and Catherine Johnson on June 17, 
1948, in Grenada, MS. The sixth of seven children, Robert learned the 
value of hard work and sacrifice. He attended Grenada High School where 
he played football and attended Alcorn State University on a full 
athletic scholarship.
  In 1966, the Meredith March against fear would change the path in 
which Robert Johnson would take his life. Robert came back to Grenada 
to join the Civil Rights Movement and worked to establish and protect 
voting rights in Mississippi. He was the local youth leader of the 
Grenada County Freedom Movement. Through his work with the Grenada 
County Freedom Movement, he helped make the nation aware of the 
threats, intimidation, and lawlessness being inflicted upon Black 
people in the town.
  He joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) as a 
Field Project Director and worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and 
Dr. Ralph David Abernathy to continue SCLC programs in Grenada. His 
work with SCLC led him on organizing efforts across the country and 
even in Africa.
  In 1971, he was jailed for refusing to be drafted into the military 
and was sentenced to five years but was released on a full pardon in 
1972 by President Gerald Ford after serving eighteen months of the 
sentence.
  Johnson continued his activism with the SCLC which led him to 
Covington, GA, where he met his wife Mary. They were married in 
November of 1974 and were later blessed with two sons, Cleon and 
Marcus.
  Robert began working for the Metro Atlanta Transit Authority as a bus 
operator and in 1985 began attending Mt. Ephraim Baptist Church. He and 
his family joined Mt. Ephraim soon after. Robert Johnson served as a 
trustee on the Official Board for a number of years. In 2002, he was 
ordained as a deacon. Around this time, Robert was honored along with 
Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, and other grassroots workers of the Civil 
Rights Movement with a trip to Durban, South Africa where they met 
South African activist and president, Nelson Mandela.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a special 
individual, Mr. Robert Johnson--a devoted servant of his community, a 
fighter for justice and equality for all people, a founder of the 
Grenada County Freedom Movement, and consummate family man. He will be 
missed by all those who know and love him.

                          ____________________