[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 24, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1051-E1052]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN RECOGNITION OF THE HONORABLE LEROY R. JOHNSON

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 24, 2018

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
commend a prominent attorney, exemplary civil rights leader, former 
Georgia State Senator, mentor to many, and a man whose life has truly 
impacted the world, the Honorable Leroy Reginald Johnson. Senator 
Johnson will be celebrating his 90th birthday with family and friends 
on July 28, 2018 at the Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.
  Leroy Reginald Johnson was born on July 28, 1928 in Atlanta, Georgia. 
He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1945. He went on 
to earn a bachelor's degree from Morehouse College in 1949 and a 
master's degree from Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) 
in 1951. From 1950 to 1954, Senator Johnson taught social science in 
the Atlanta school system. He then enrolled in law school at North 
Carolina Central University, earning his law degree in 1957.
  Following his graduation from law school, Fulton County hired him as 
a criminal investigator, the first African American to be hired by the 
solicitor general's office (now the District Attorney's office). As the 
Civil Rights Movement ramped up, he became involved in demonstrations 
and protests. When black college students conducted mass sit-ins at 
Rich's Department Store lunch counters in October 1960, he was present 
as one of the several community leaders advising the students, who 
included Julian Bond.
  In 1962, he was elected to the Georgia State Senate, making him the 
first African American to be elected to the Georgia General Assembly 
since the end of the Reconstruction era. He was also the first African 
American elected to public office in the Southeast United States that 
year. In the beginning, Senator Johnson faced many obstacles due to 
segregation but rose above the adversity, becoming an influential 
lawmaker and attaining the position of Chairman of the Judiciary 
Committee.
  All the while, Senator Johnson maintained a successful law practice. 
He was the driving force in getting the legendary Muhammad Ali's boxing 
license reinstated in 1970. Ali had been stripped of his boxing license 
in the prime of his career due to his opposition to the Vietnam War. 
After big cities across the country refused to host a match in which 
Ali would participate, Senator Johnson offered Atlanta as a location 
where the fight could take place. Senator Johnson fought behind the 
scenes to get state and local officials to agree so that ultimately, 
Muhammad Ali could fight inside the ring in a match that would lead the 
way for Ali to eventually reclaim the heavyweight crown.
  Over the years, Senator Johnson received many awards and accolades 
for his legal, political, and civic work. In 1996, his portrait was 
hung on the third floor of the State Capitol near the Senate chamber 
where he served for twelve years. In 2000, the Georgia State Senate 
passed a resolution renaming a portion of Fulton Industrial Boulevard 
as Leroy Johnson-Fulton Industrial Boulevard. In 2016, he was awarded 
the Lifetime Achievement Award by the State Bar of Georgia and the 
Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism for his untiring 
commitment to volunteer participation in the community throughout his 
legal career. Senator Johnson has accomplished much in his life but 
none of this would be possible without the love and support of his 
wife, Cleopatra, and son, Michael Vince.
  On a personal note, I have had the great pleasure of knowing Senator 
Johnson since high school in 1964 when he spoke in Montgomery, Alabama 
at the Alabama State Association of Student Councils' meeting where I 
was presiding as State Student Council President. He was a schoolmate 
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Washington High School and at 
Morehouse College. Like Dr. King he was influenced greatly by Dr. 
Benjamin E. Mays to use his life to make a difference for humanity. I 
was inspired by this successful lawyer and public official and was 
motivated to emulate his career path. I attended Morehouse College, 
became a civil rights lawyer, and twelve years after meeting him, I was 
elected to the Georgia State House and 14 years later to the State 
Senate and in 1992 to the U.S. Congress. I have truly been blessed by 
Senator Johnson's friendship, counsel, and mentorship throughout the 
years.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House to join my wife Vivian 
and me, along with the people of the state of Georgia, in recognizing 
and commending former State Senator Leroy Johnson for his outstanding 
professional achievements and service. Moreover, we extend our best 
wishes to him as he, his family, and friends celebrate his 90th 
birthday.

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