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Sarah H. Johnson Rose Above the Times in Greenville, MS

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER — Excerpt: Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons released a statement, expressing the city’s shock and sadness shortly after Johnson’s death. Simmons said hearts were heavy in Greenville for the loss of Mrs. Johnson. “Mrs. Johnson will be remembered, not only as a municipal leader, but also as a community activist who loved the City of Greenville, her family, and all its citizens,” Simmons wrote. “Mrs. Johnson’s determination, dedicated service, and courage opened the doors of City Hall for me and every other Black municipal leader in Greenville.”
The post Sarah H. Johnson Rose Above the Times in Greenville, MS first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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2 years ago

June 3, 2023

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By Sybil C. Mitchell | The New Tri-State Defender

Sarah Hughes Johnson, a beloved daughter of Greenville, Mississippi, respected for her Civil Rights advocacy and civic leadership, died May 9 at Region One Health in Memphis. She was 85.

Ms. Johnson’s life was a filled with accomplishments that helped improve the lives of her constituents, especially African Americans.

“Our mother was bold,” said Geneva Johnson, the eldest of Johnson’s four children. “She was courageous, and threats from white people who didn’t like what she was doing never fazed her. Mother just kept going, even after the divorce when she was left to raise four children alone. She was never distracted from her purpose.”

Sarah Hughes Johnson handled her business and won reelection.

In 1973, Ms. Johnson became the first African American to serve on the Greenville City Council. Johnson was also the city’s vice-mayor.

Sarah Hughes Johnson’s swearing-in ceremony was front-page news.

Ms. Johnson served on the city council for 23 years. Upon retiring in 1996, she realized that she helped push the city forward for more than two decades.

Beyond Greenville’s racist past, her efforts spurred momentum for a new day in uniting the races in hope and optimism.

“Of course, as children, we didn’t understand, really, who our mother was,” said Karen Johnson, youngest of the four children. Mother was director of various organizations. She had lots of friends also working in the civil rights movement.

“We had different ‘nannies,’ who would look after us. We didn’t see mother as much as we would have liked, especially me because I’m the baby. But we at least could understand that her work was important.”

In 2013, then-Greenville mayor John Cox met Johnson, along with family members and officially renamed a Greenville street, “Sarah H. Johnson Lane.”

Even at 75, sitting in her wheelchair, Johnson made a speech during the event.

Sarah Hughes Johnson (2010) at the intersection of Old Leland and the street named after her. (Courtesy photo)

“Praise God and thank you, Jesus,” she began. “I want to thank all of you for coming out to this occasion…”

The Delta Daily News reported that Ms. “Johnson won her political campaign in 1973 during a time when racism and Jim Crow laws were still in full effect despite being revoked years prior…”

“Throughout her career, Johnson was known for her tenacity and willingness to help the poor, middle-class, and the elderly. Her goal was always to help those who were less fortunate. She will be remembered for embodying the characteristics that the community needs to see in its leaders.”

Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons released a statement, expressing the city’s shock and sadness shortly after Johnson’s death. Simmons said hearts were heavy in Greenville for the loss of “Mrs. Johnson.”

“Mrs. Johnson will be remembered, not only as a municipal leader, but also as a community activist who loved the City of Greenville, her family, and all its citizens,” Simmons wrote. “Mrs. Johnson’s determination, dedicated service, and courage opened the doors of City Hall for me and every other Black municipal leader in Greenville.”

Johnson was employed by Mississippi Action for Community Education, where she was the area director for the People’s Education Program (Head Start). Johnson also served as a 1972 Fellow of the Mississippi Institute of Politics and attended several affairs by invitation to the White House during President Jimmy Carter’s administration.

Sarah Hughes Johnson is greeted by President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalyn. (Courtesy photo)

Sarah Hughes was the fourth child of 13 children. she never knew who her father was. Her birth mother gave her to an aunt, who had just lost a baby.

“There was never a formal adoption, or anything like that,” said Geneva Johnson. “My mom’s birth mother gave her sister the baby because her baby died. So really, the woman my mother called her mother was really her auntie. That’s just what families did back then.

“She was born in Allendale, South Carolina. Mother and Daddy came later to Greenville because he was moved to a new church. Dad was a United Methodist pastor.”

Sarah Hughes met Ned Johnson at Clark College. She was a first-year student, and Ned Johnson was attending Gammon Seminary. Although Hughes won a full-time scholarship as valedictorian of her high school, she left after her freshman year. After starting a family, Johnson was assigned a new church in Greenville.

Unfortunately, the union did not last, and Ned Johnson left Greenville, never to return.

“My dad left when I was three years old,” said Karen Johnson. “But my mother was always there — still out there fighting for her community. Mother and other community activists decided that the four Johnson children will go to the predominantly white school to force integration.

“And I didn’t mind going to school with white children. It was just not having the frilly, little dresses that bothered me. I was about six or seven.”

Despite a very painful divorce and all the hatred the white establishment could muster, Johnson never lost sight of her vision that all of Greenville’s children would enjoy a free, public, and equal education and every citizen could freely exercise their right to vote without threat or intimidation.

Sarah Hughes Johnson in earlier times with her children (l-r) Geneva, Ned, Yvonne and Karen. (Courtesy photo)

“This Mother’s Day was going to be extra special,” said Geneva Johnson, prior to the holiday. “Each year, that day becomes so precious because you begin to realize your mother won’t be with you always. I thought we would enjoy her today. She went on to be with the Lord, but we’re still going to enjoy her.

“We’ll share memories and laugh about so many things we thought were funny as children. We’ll call our brother Ned so we can all remember her together. It will be hard, but we will get through it. We are all pretty tough. We got it from our mother.”

This article originally appeared in the New Tri-State Defender

The post Sarah H. Johnson Rose Above the Times in Greenville, MS first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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PRESS ROOM: Application Window Closing Soon for Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Selected high school students receive all-expenses-paid trip to Walt Disney World Resort for transformative mentorship program; Applications close October 31.

Published

1 week ago

October 27, 2025

Oakland Post

Selected high school students receive all-expenses-paid trip to Walt Disney World Resort for transformative mentorship program; Applications close October 31.

(LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.) Oct. 27, 2025 – High school students driven by passion and fueled by big dreams have until October 31 to apply for the 2026 Disney Dreamers Academy, a transformative mentorship experience at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The program’s application window closes at the end of the month, so students are encouraged to apply now for this magical, career-inspiring multi-day event. Applications are open to U.S. high school students, ages 13 to 19, who will receive an all-expense-paid trip along with one parent or guardian to Walt Disney World. Applications will be evaluated by a distinguished panel of leaders, and the 100 selected participants will be announced in early 2026.

Disney Dreamers Academy, now entering its 19th year, unfolds during several unforgettable days of inspiration and discovery for the program’s participants who come to Walt Disney World for hands-on learning, career exploration and leadership development that encourages them to dream bigger and achieve more. Students from culturally diverse communities nationwide explore career fields from STEM and business to entertainment and the arts, learning directly from educators, executives, celebrities and Disney cast members who share real-world insights and guidance. Along the way, Dreamers gain valuable life tools, leadership skills, effective communication techniques and networking strategies to help turn their dreams into reality.

Anyone interested can apply or nominate a student at http://www.DisneyDreamersAcademy.com

Disney Dreamers Academy is one of the many examples of Walt Disney World’s commitment to supporting diverse communities by inspiring young people to dream boldly, pursue their passions and make a meaningful difference in the world.

For more information, visit DisneyDreamersAcademy.com, or follow on social media at Facebook.com/DisneyDreamersAcademy, X.com/DreamersAcademy and Instagram.com/disneydreamersacademy/.

About Disney Dreamers Academy:

Established at Walt Disney World in 2008, Disney Dreamers Academy’s mission is to inspire teens from culturally diverse communities nationwide to dream beyond imagination by providing access to personalized support for the Disney Dreamer, their caregivers and community through insightful content and uplifting experts, mentors and sponsors. Each year, 100 high school students are awarded a trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida to experience this four-day immersive and transformational program.

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Black Americans Cannot Afford the Trump Administration’s Health Care Cost Spike

By Fred Redmond This Saturday marks one month of the federal government shutdown. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers—nearly 20% of whom are Black and 30% of whom are veterans—are missing their second paycheck. Families across the country will be forced to choose between paying for groceries, rent and medical care. President Trump and […]

Published

1 week ago

October 27, 2025

Oakland Post

By Fred Redmond

This Saturday marks one month of the federal government shutdown. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers—nearly 20% of whom are Black and 30% of whom are veterans—are missing their second paycheck. Families across the country will be forced to choose between paying for groceries, rent and medical care. President Trump and his allies in Congress are inflicting this pain because they would rather shut down the government than deal with the looming health care crisis that will explode costs for more than 170 million Americans.

This is a crisis of the administration’s own making and was entirely avoidable. That’s because Trump and Congress are about to let a key funding program for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the extended tax credits, expire. Without that funding source, out-of-pocket premiums will more than double for 22 million people—and 4.2 million people will be kicked off their coverage entirely.

Everyone will pay more for health care if the ACA tax credits disappear. As millions lose their coverage, hospitals and clinics will be forced to absorb billions in unpaid care costs, driving up premiums for all of us, whether you are covered through work or the ACA.

Combined with the Medicaid cuts that Republicans passed earlier this year, 179 million people with employer-based insurance could see their health care costs rise as much as $485 a year per person—or nearly $2,000 more a year for a family of four. Parents will be forced to put off checkups for their kids and people with chronic illnesses will face impossible decisions: refill their insulin or pay rent, start chemotherapy or pay the electric bill. One unexpected accident will leave a family unable to pay the mortgage or buy groceries.

For our community, a spike in health care costs isn’t just smoke—it’s a five-alarm fire. Since the implementation of the ACA, the number of Black folks without health insurance has been cut in half. In 2023, it reached an all-time low. That’s in large part thanks to the increased funding for the ACA passed in 2021, including the tax credits we’re fighting for today. But if they aren’t extended, we could see those gains almost completely reversed. Without the tax credits, Black Americans will see the largest increases in uninsurance rates—a 30% percent jump in those without coverage. One study estimates as many as 1.1 million Black Americans will lose coverage.

Even those who are able to hang on to their insurance will be forced to pay more if the tax credits aren’t extended. That funding passed in 2021 meant millions of working- and middle-class Black families with ACA coverage saw their premiums lowered or eliminated entirely. 76% of uninsured Black Americans were able to find a plan for less than $50 a month and 66% could find one entirely for free. But without the tax credits, those premiums could more than double. And those same families could be forced to pay hundreds—if not thousands—more every month.

Black working people are already struggling to pay our bills. Wages for Black workers are falling and our budgets are being squeezed by higher prices on everything from food and housing to electricity and gas. The Trump administration is offering no relief. The last thing we need is D.C. politicians hiking our health care costs.

The labor movement’s message to the president and his allies in Congress is simple: fix the health care crisis, fund the government and put working people first.

Fred Redmond, the highest-ranking African American labor official in history, is the secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor federation, representing 63 unions and nearly 15 million workers.

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Four Minute Offense: The Jets Circle the Wagons

This is the second installment of the Four Minute Offense. It’s the moment during the fourth quarter of a game when the team possessing the ball must run the ball, call high-percentage pass plays, and the war daddies (also known as the offensive linemen), can get off the ball and turn up. Four talking points […]

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1 week ago

October 27, 2025

Oakland Post

The Jets get their first win of 2025

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized and mocked Justin Fields, adding to what was already a difficult week for the team. The Jets’ offense had been struggling, ranking near the bottom across nearly every major statistical category. To make matters even worse, the franchise announced the tragic passing of Nick Mangold, the legendary offensive lineman, at just 41 years old.

On Sunday, the New York Jets took on the Cincinnati Bengals in what many expected to be a lopsided matchup. Joe Flacco, coming off a phenomenal performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers just ten days earlier — with 342 passing yards and three touchdowns — looked to keep the momentum going. Meanwhile, Ja’Marr Chase continued his dominance for Cincinnati, setting a single-game franchise record with 16 receptions, 161 yards, and a touchdown.

But that’s why they play the game!

The Jets beat the Bengals 39-38. Running back Breece Hall, an object of trade rumors, threw the game-winning touchdown to rookie tight-end Mason Taylor with 2 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. Hall was the first running back since Curtis Martin in 2000 to throw a go-ahead TD in the final two minutes of a game. Ironically, Martin’s touchdown pass was a game-winning TD.

In Sunday’s game, the Jets had 502 yards of total offense, the first time they accomplished this feat since 2001. Head Coach Aaron Glenn was hyped in the locker room:

“Our f— brand! 254 rushing yards! Man, I love this group. And man, from here on out. Grit. F–– grit. Because I told you during the offseason, man. We have to create an advantage, we f–– did. But you showed all the grit in the world to win this game,” Glenn bellowed to applause from the team. “Now, let’s have a good flight home, have a great week. I love this group, man.”

Also, Justin Fields admitted to reporters he relied on his faith to get him through a turbulent week.

“I’m going to get pretty vulnerable right here. This week I found myself in my closet crying on the ground, laying down. Not because of the hardships, not because of the troubles,” Fields admitted. “I felt like I was built to handle that. I was put in place to handle this situation. But in that moment, I was talking to my best friend. How hard it was. Not wavering faith-wise. I was praying over and over again, just one win. All that to say is, God is real. God is good. Everything that we go through in this life is for a purpose.”

Where do the Jets go from here? Nobody knows. But for one week, Gang Green can celebrate!

Tua and the Dolphins frustrate the floundering Falcons

Tua Tagovailoa helped the Miami Dolphins snap their three game losing streak, beating the listless Atlanta Falcons 34-10. Complicating matters for both teams, Tua threw for 205 yards and 4 touchdowns after waking up with a swollen left eye.

“Probably one of the worst experiences I’ve had in terms of waking up and having that on a game day,” he told reporters after the game, adding that Dolphins trainers gave him antibiotics to help with the issue and that he wore a visor on the field.

“It was different,” Tagovailoa said. “I can’t remember the last time I played with a visor outside of high school.”

Tua Tagovailoa struggled mightily last week in a shocking 31–6 defeat to the Cleveland Browns, ultimately being benched for poor performance. Despite the setback, this marks the third instance in his career where Tagovailoa has thrown at least four touchdown passes with no interceptions — a feat surpassed only by the legendary Dan Marino in franchise history.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons faced their own challenges. Star safety Jessie Bates III exited early in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Bates, who leads the team with 39 tackles this season, was sorely missed as Atlanta’s offense faltered. The Falcons managed just 11 first downs, 49 rushing yards, and converted only 2 of 11 third-down attempts — a disheartening showing for the Dirty Birds.

It’s worth noting that Atlanta played without several key starters, including quarterback Michael Penix Jr., wide receiver Drake London, and defenders Divine Deablo, Jalon Walker, Zach Harrison, and Billy Bowman Jr. Even so, their upcoming matchups against the resurgent New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts will be critical — not only for their playoff hopes but also for determining the future of head coach Raheem Morris.

“It all started right from the beginning, with not being able to run the football and control the game,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said after the game. “That’s our lifeline, and when that’s not working, it’s gonna look bad on us, whether it be defense, offense, or special teams. That’s our lifeline, being able to run the football offense.”

Jalen Hurts continues to shine

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw four touchdown passes as he led his team past the New York Giants 38-20 at Lincoln Financial Stadium. He finished the day 15-of-20 for 179 yards. Hurts is just the third Eagles QB ever to have back-to-back games with a passer rating of 140+, joining Nick Foles and Randall Cunningham.

Hurts – who has 15 touchdown passes, five rushing touchdowns and one interception this season – is the first quarterback in NFL history with at least 15 touchdown passes, five rushing touchdowns and one-or-fewer interceptions in his team’s first eight games of a season.

Also, in the last two games, Hurts has nine incompletions and seven touchdowns. The narrative is shifting in Philadelphia. As the offensive coordinators change, Hurts must continue to prepare and play at a high level, consistently.

“I look at how we are helping him,” Hurts said. “Are we playing penalty free? Are we mastering, mastering the things that take no talent? Are we getting in and out of the huddle? You know, the little things that can help all of us and help the play call to find the rhythm and what he does. And so we’re very critical of that. I’m very critical of that. That’s always something that I’m talking about, but we just want to continue to build.”

Saquon Barkley ran for 150 yards and scored one touchdown on a 65-yard house call.

Cam Ward shows progress, despite loss at Colts

Despite the Tennessee Titans’ 38-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, quarterback Cam Ward demonstrated noticeable progress in his development. Ward completed 22 of 38 passes for 259 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception. The interception came on a fourth-and-goal attempt late in the game when the outcome was already sealed. Throughout the game, Ward showcased solid accuracy, absorbed multiple hits, and effectively extended plays by moving within the pocket.

“We just got to finish drives with points,” Ward said postgame. “Yeah, we had some positive moments, but it wasn’t enough to win a game. I had to do more. I had to be more accurate with the football. We had to consistently, consistently move the ball up and down the field and end with points. I think the last couple weeks, we’ve been better just moving the ball, but we have to end it with points. If we don’t score points, if we don’t score points, we’re not going to be in a lot of games.”

The Titans will be back home at Nissan Stadium to face the 5-3 Chargers.