The Reverend
Bruce Johnson
Personal
Born
Bruce W. Johnson Jr.

1938
Aurora, Illinois, U.S.
DiedSeptember 29, 1969(1969-09-29) (aged 30–31)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
ReligionChristianity (Protestantism)
Spouse
Eugenia Johnson
​
​
(m. 1962; died 1969)​
ChildrenBrian Johnson, Kevin Johnson, and Perry Johnson
DenominationMethodist
EducationGarrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary
ProfessionMinister
ChurchArmitage Avenue United Methodist Church
Senior posting
ProfessionMinister

Reverend Bruce W. Johnson Jr. (1938 – September 29, 1969) was a Methodist minister in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. He was pastor of Armitage Avenue United Methodist Church (renamed "People's Church") and worked closely with the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican civil rights organization and former street gang. Johnson and his wife Marjorie Eugenia Johnson (née Ransier) were found stabbed to death in their home on September 29, 1969.[1][2]

Early life

Bruce Johnson was born in Aurora, Illinois in 1938. He met his wife Eugenia while they both attended Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. The couple married in 1962 and had three sons, Brian, Kevin, and Perry.[2] Johnson was ordained as a Methodist minister in 1964.[1]

Involvement with the Young Lords

Johnson offered aid and solidarity to the Young Lords during their occupation of the McCormick Theological Seminary in May 1969.[3] Soon after, the Young Lords approached officials at Armitage Avenue United Methodist Church, where Johnson was pastor, about setting up a day-care center at the church. Johnson was receptive to the idea, but the congregation was not. After a four-day sit-in that began on June 11, 1969, the Young Lords occupied the church.[4] Lincoln Park residents asked the city to inspect the church to determine if the site was in compliance with state regulations in hopes of quashing the day care project. The inspection found eleven violations that cost an estimated ten thousand dollars to correct.[4] The Young Lords raised the funds, and two months later a day-care center was opened in the basement of the church. A medical facility and breakfast program for poor children were added later.[5] Johnson supported the takeover of the church, which the Young Lords eventually renamed the "People's Church".[5]

Death

Johnson and his wife were found stabbed to death in their apartment on September 29, 1969.[1] Their murders remain unsolved.[5]

Legacy

Bruce Johnson and Eugenia Johnson continue to be recognized for their support of the Young Lords.[3] On September 29, 2019, a service was held at Holy Covenant United Methodist Church to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the couple's deaths. Speakers at the service included Young Lords founder José Cha Cha Jiménez, DePaul University professor Jacqueline Lazu, and leaders from the Presbyterian McCormick Theological Seminary (occupied by the Young Lords in 1969).[3] Following the memorial, attendees marched through the Lincoln Park neighborhood to the former site of People’s Church.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 O'Brien, John (30 September 1969). "N. Side Cleric, Wife Slain". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 Fowkes, Tom (6 October 2013). "DePaul-connected Young Lords Organization honors fallen comrades". The DePaulia. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Burke, Tom (3 October 2019). "Young Lords remember martyrs and march for the future". Fight Back! News. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  4. 1 2 Jeffries, Judson (Autumn 2003). "From Gang-bangers to Urban Revolutionaries: The Young Lords of Chicago" (PDF). Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 93 (3): 288–304. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Grossman, Ron (8 July 2018). "The Young Lords: How a street gang turned to community activism". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
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