Reverend Bruce W. Johnson, Jr., and Eugenia (Ransier) Johnson dedicated their lives to serving the people of Chicago. Born in Aurora, Illinois in 1938, Bruce Johnson attended Garrett Seminary from 1960 to 1962. It was during that time that he met Eugenia Ransier, who was also a student at the seminary. They married in 1962 and two years after that began serving the Humboldt Park congregation, a community with a rapidly growing Latino membership.

In 1968, the Johnsons, along with their three young sons, moved to the Armitage Avenue Church in Lincoln Park. Within a few months, this church became The Peoples Church and the national headquarters for the Young Lords Civil and Human Rights Movement founded by Jose Jimenez. Together, they set up a free daycare center, free health clinic, a free breakfast program for children, and held demonstrations to protest the displacement of hundreds of Latinos and low-income families from the neighborhood. Less than one year later, the Johnsons were found by their children, brutally murdered. Their murders have never been solved.

Deeply committed to the inner-city communities they served, the Johnsons worked tirelessly on behalf of the Latino families who had first made their homes in Lincoln Park and who were being forced from their homes through urban renewal. Eugenia was also well-known for her advocacy on behalf of special needs children. In honor of their legacy, The Young Lords and The Kutsche Office of Local History and Grand Valley State University, a memorial will be held on Sept. 23rd at 5p.m, at United Methodist to celebrate the life and work of Rev. Bruce and Eugenia Johnson. Space is limited. Call 616-331-8099 or visit, www.gvsu.edu/kutsche to reserve a seat.