Johnson Institute Wins Alabama Humanities Alliance Grant

By Taylor Armstrong

In September, the Johnson Institute received word from the Alabama Humanities Alliance that the Institute was being awarded a $10,000 grant.

AHA awards grant money to nonprofit organizations across the state of Alabama that work to promote the appreciation of topics like history, civics, literature, and culture.

The grant is a part of AHA’s Alabama Humanities Recover Grant. We are one of 83 different nonprofit organizations awarded funding for Alabama’s most cherished cultural landmarks and community resources recovering from the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Alabama Humanities Recovery Grants are funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities through the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Taylor Armstrong is an intern for the Johnson Institute.

Kicking off the Johnson Institute Scholars Program: Weighing Constitutional Rights in Williams v. Wallace →

Join education and legal professionals on July 14th or 21st for a half-day Johnson Institute Scholars course on incorporating historic court cases into middle and high school instruction. This virtual course for educators will take a pedagogical look at the Constitutional arguments of Williams v. Wallace, the 1965 court case that followed “Bloody Sunday” and paved the way for the Selma-to-Montgomery March, a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement.

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What is Due Process? Virtual Panel in Honor of Law Day 2021

The Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute (FMJI) is premiering a virtual panel discussion, What is Due Process?, in honor of Law Day 2021 and its theme, “Advancing the Rule of Law Now.” (https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/law-day/)

The panel discussion, geared to high school students, features a clear and concise discussion of the Constitutional right of due process, guaranteed by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

As students learn about the importance of the Constitution and the right of due process, this panel discussion provides an opportunity to learn from experts in law and education. We hope teachers and students will watch it this week while recognizing Law Day and for years to come.

Panelists include:

  • Dr. Elizabeth Bowles, Law Magnet Instructor at the Center for Law, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School here in Montgomery, Alabama.

  • Mr. Lane Heard, Senior Counsel at the law firm of Williams and Connolly in Washington, DC.

  • Mrs. Elizabeth Huntley, Senior Counsel and Director of Community Relations and Engagement at Lightfoot, Franklin and White in Birmingham, AL.

  • Thomas Rains, Executive Director of FMJI (Moderator)

FMJI's Oral History Project

This week marks the beginning of the Johnson Institute’s Oral History Project to capture stories, memories, and accounts of events from people who knew, worked with, and were affected by the rulings of Judge Frank Johnson. This project seeks to preserve these stories for future historical and educational use.

With this project, we’ve set our sites on history. Our objectives are to:

  • Capture primary accounts of and perspectives on Judge Frank Johnson and the historical events during his life.

  • Preserve for future generations stories from history as a resource on the life and times of Judge Frank Johnson. These videos will be available to researchers, teachers, and students of law, history, civil rights, and related areas. 

  • Provide video resources and content for the Johnson Institute’s own work developing educational programming related to the U.S. Constitution and independent judiciary.

If you would like to be included in the Oral History Project and tell your story, please let us know.

 
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FMJI Partners with Freedom Forum Institute to Present Free Online Course on the Civil Rights Movement and The First Amendment

The Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute (FMJI) today announced the release of a new online multimedia course in conjunction with the Freedom Forum Institute of Washington, DC.

“The First Amendment and the Civil Rights Movement” can be accessed through FMJI’s website and is designed for use primarily by higher education faculty, students, working professionals and others who wish to explore more fully the intersection between the movement and the First Amendment. It incorporates multimedia resources from the Newseum and written and documentary film materials produced by Stetson University. Many of the cases highlighted took place in Montgomery, AL, and were presided over by Judge Frank Johnson, including Browder v. Gayle, which stemmed from the Montgomery Bus Boycott beginning in 1955, and Williams v. Wallace, which authorized the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. A full list of interviews is included with this press release.

To celebrate the release, on Tuesday, March 2, FMJI will premier an interview with  course authors, Prof. Robert Bickel of Stetson University and Gene Policinski of the Freedom Forum, conducted by Thomas Rains, FMJI’s executive director. The interview will premiere on FMJI’s Facebook page at 2:00 on Tuesday, March 2.

“This course is a wonderful opportunity for educators, students, and researchers alike to learn more about how the U.S. Constitution shaped the Civil Rights Movement,” said Rains. “The Johnson Institute’s goal in partnering with the Freedom Forum to promote this course is to give citizens across the country a deeper understanding of our Constitution and how it has played a role in the shaping of our nation.”

Judge Frank Johnson’s Impact and the U.S. Constitution

On Thursday, September 17, 2020, Thomas Rains, FMJI executive director, moderated a panel featuring two former Judge Johnson law clerks: U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Alabama Susan Russ Walker and Peter Canfield, of counsel with Jones Day in Atlanta. Each shared their perspectives in a discussion entitled “Judge Frank Johnson’s Impact and the U.S. Constitution.”

The Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute partnered with the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities at Auburn University to produce this event. The panel was held remotely via Facebook Live to ensure the safety of all involved during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Judge Frank Johnson’s Role Upholding the Constitution” at the Blackburn Institute's 2020 Annual Symposium

On Friday, August 28, 2020, Hon. W. Keith Watkins, Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama and Johnson Institute board member, discussed Judge Frank Johnson’s role upholding the Constitution at the University of Alabama Blackburn Institute’s virtual 2020 Annual Symposium.

Throughout the presentation, organized as an oral history from the Historic Courtroom where Judge Johnson once presided as District Judge, Judge Watkins shared anecdotes from Judge Johnson’s life to add context to his career and the history of the times.

Your Vote. Your Voice. Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100

The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of ratification of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women’s right to vote. This year’s Law Day honors the occasion with the theme “Your Vote. Your Voice. Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100.” Law Day is celebrated every year on May 1 “to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession.”

To celebrate, the Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute asked federal and state officials and leaders of the legal community about the importance of the Role of Law and the 19th Amendment. On May 1 we shared these videos and you can watch them by clicking on the photo below.