The death on New Year’s Day of Wyanetta Johnson hits hard. She was a true champion of young people in these villages, especially young Black children. She was a fierce warrior who could not be intimidated by those seemingly more powerful. And she was kind.
It is good to see Greg Johnson, superintendent of Oak Park and River Forest High School, acknowledge the impact this slight, elegant woman had on issues of racial equity at the school. Tensions between Mrs. Johnson, the OPRF school board and the administration were often high as the school clung to its mythological past.
That disdain did not stop her. Her focus on lifting up kids who lacked the full opportunities these villages might have offered was inspiring. And she will be deeply missed.
