Hartford Changemakers

Muriel Johnson, still from Butch Lewis Video Collection
"Common Ground," 1969

Muriel Johnson (1923-1972)
community leader and advocate for the Clay Hill neighborhood

A member of numerous community organizations and a skilled speaker and communicator, Muriel Johnson was a key community advocate in Hartford, specifically in the Clay Hill neighborhood. She was a member of the Board of Directors of Clay Hill Improvement Association, the Clay Hill Mothers’ Club, the Community Renewal Team Task Force, the City Demonstration Agency, the Family Service Society, the Career Opportunities Program, and the Poor People’s Federation, as well as the chair of the Council of 12 and the Head Start Advisory Board.

Muriel Johnson was born and raised in Hartford and spent most of her life giving back to the community she called home. She worked in a majority Black community and was known to speak up about issues affecting the Black community of Hartford, whether that meant criticizing the police force or advocating for Black community empowerment. In 1969, after race-based riots in Hartford, she spoke up passionately during an emergency neighborhood meeting about the state of Hartford and how Hartford police interacted with its Black residents, including criticizing them for their lack of action in stopping the drug crisis. Her critiques demonstrated her deep passion for the Black youth of the city.

Muriel Johnson received a citation in the Lant Bryant Volunteer Awards competition for outstanding community service in 1968. Johnson has also been commemorated with The North End Clinic of the Hartford Dispensary, which was renamed the Henderson-Johnson Clinic in honor of her volunteer work there. There was also a Muriel Johnson Memorial Fund created as a scholarship and emergency fund for members of the Black community in need​ and was specifically used to help underprivileged children attend school.
 

Muriel Johnson, miembro de numerosas organizaciones comunitarias y oradora y comunicadora, fue una defensora clave de la comunidad en Hartford, específicamente en el barrio de Clay Hill. Fue miembro de la junta directiva de Clay Hill Improvement Association, Clay Hill Mothers' Club, Community Renewal Team Task Force, City Demonstration Agency, Family Service Society, Career Opportunities Program y Poor People's Federation. así como el presidente del Consejo de los 12 y la Junta Asesora de Head Start.

Muriel Johnson nació y se crió en Hartford y pasó la mayor parte de su vida retribuyendo a la comunidad a la que llamaba hogar. Trabajó en una comunidad mayoritariamente negra y era conocida por hablar sobre los problemas que afectaban a la comunidad negra de Hartford, ya sea que eso significara criticar a la policia o abogar por el empoderamiento de la comunidad negra. En 1969, después de los disturbios raciales en Hartford, habló apasionadamente durante una reunión vecinal de emergencia sobre el estado de Hartford y cómo la policía de Hartford interactuaba con sus residentes negros, incluso criticándolos por su falta de acción para detener la crisis de las drogas. Sus críticas demostraron su profunda pasión por la juventud negra de la ciudad.

Muriel Johnson recibió una mención en la competencia Lant Bryant Volunteer Awards por su destacado servicio comunitario en 1968. Johnson también ha sido conmemorada con The North End Clinic of the Hartford Dispensary, que pasó a llamarse Clínica Henderson-Johnson en honor a su trabajo voluntario allí. También se creó un Fondo en memoria de Muriel Johnson como beca y fondo de emergencia para miembros de la comunidad negra necesitados y se usó específicamente para ayudar a los niños a asistir a la escuela.