The Ed Johnson Memorial
Last month, Chattanooga hosted a historical weekend that included 16 diverse events that focused on the remembrance and retelling of the Ed Johnson story. Ed Johnson was wrongfully convicted of rape in the winter of 1906. Despite the successful efforts of Johnson's attorneys, Style Hutchins and Noah Pardens, to appeal for Johnson’s case to be re-examined, Ed Johnson was forcibly broken out of prison and lynched from the second span of the Walnut Street Bridge the night of March 19th. The Bethlehem Center participated in the procession of events which included a discussion between LaFrederick Thirkill and the artist, Jerome Meadows, who is responsible for designing the sculpture downtown. Jerome Meadows discussed the role of public art in society and his experiences as a black man practicing public art.
It was an encouragement to witness Chattanooga’s effort to understand the gravity and significance of this atrocity - and repent of the communal terror visited on Ed Johnson, his descendants, and the collective African American community in Chattanooga to reconcile the wrongs of the past.
The spectacle of events has come and gone. The memorial is up, the media coverage is slowing down, the noise surrounding the dedication weekend has become fainter and fainter, and yet this city and its citizens are left with a simple question, what will you do next? This question is as much posed toward the Chattanooga community at large as it is toward us individually. In the spirit of Ed Johnson and his last words, "God bless you; I am innocent", we can curiously explore and try to embody the immeasurable mercy and fortitude Ed Johnson maintained as he faced an outburst of hatred, prejudice, and rage.
Written By:
Darian Sylvester
Community Outreach Coordinator
