Federal District Judge Curtis Collier and Donivan Brown of Chattanooga will discuss the story of Ed Johnson. From the Ed Johnson Memorial website: "Ed Johnson was the first African American awarded a stay of execution by the US Supreme Court. Noah Parden, a local Chattanooga attorney, was one of the first African American lawyers to appear before the US Supreme Court. For the first time, the US Supreme Court got involved in a state criminal case and halted an execution. After local Chattanoogans ignored the stay of execution and lynched Ed Johnson, the Supreme Court, the country and President Teddy Roosevelt reacted swiftly and with outrage. They investigated the lynching, and the Supreme Court held their first and only criminal trial to find a handful of the perpetrators guilty." The presenters were deeply involved in a successful monument project remembering and teaching about these events.
Content Advisory: The convocation will consider topics of racism and violence. This advisory is provided to foster an informed decision and is not intended to discourage attendance.