Vernon Napoleon Johns (1892 - 1965)

Born 22 Apr 1892 in Darlington Heights, Prince Edward County, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Altona Malinda (Trent) Johns — married 21 Dec 1927 in Rowan County, North Carolina, United States

Died 11 Jun 1965 at age 73 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States

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Biography

Vernon Johns is Notable.

Social Reformer. A Farmer, preacher, and civil-rights pioneer who has been referred to as the "Father of the Civil-Rights Movement", he was considered a man ahead of his time in the civil rights movement.

Vernon Napoleon Johns was born in Darlington Heights, Prince Edward County, Virginia, on April 22, 1892, to Willie Johns, a farmer, peddler, and Baptist preacher, and Sallie Branch Price Johns.

Vernon grew up on the family farm. In 1900 Willie and Sallie were farming at Spring Creek in Prince Edward County. At the time they had 4 children at home. Also in residence was a nephew, 8-year-old Emmit Huff.^[1]

He graduated from the Virginia Theological Seminary in 1915 and Oberlin Seminary in 1918 he then did graduate studies at Chicago's Graduate School of Theology.^[2]

In 1917 Vernon Johns was 25 years old and living on N Jackson in Painesville, Lake County, Ohio at the time of WW1 Draft registration. He was single and gave his profession as a minister and indicated he was the sole support for his mother and two brothers. The date of birth was cited as April 22, 1892.^[3]

On December 21, 1927, he married Altona Trent in Rowan, North Carolina, Altona, a classical pianist, teacher, and scholar was the daughter of William Johnson Trent, the president of Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. Johns resigned from his West Virginia pastorate and settled in New York. Vernon and Altona Trent Johns became the parents of six children, first three boys and, then, three girls.^[4][2][5]

In 1929 Vernon was appointed president of the Virginia Theological Seminary and the Johns moved to Lynchburg. In 1930 they were living on Garfield Avenue with their first son, Vernon I. Both Vernon and Altona ae shown employed as teachers.^[6]

In 1934 they returned to the family farm in Prince Edward County. Vernon farmed and operated a grocery store in Darlington Heights and Altona supplemented their income by teaching. Vernon lectured and preached on the black church and college circuit. In 1937 Vernon was called as the pastor of First Baptist Church in Charleston, West Virginia and was living there on his own in 1940^[7]. Altona and the six children remained on the family farm in Farmville with Vernon's mother and father.^[8]

Vernon returned to Farmville in 1941. He would return to the preaching circuit while Altona continued teaching. She would also finish a graduate program at Columbia University and publish several books on music.^[4]

In the summer of 1948, Altona Trent Johns joined the music department at Alabama State College in Montgomery. In October, Vernon Johns was called as the pastor of the city's prestigious Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Vernon's niece, Barbara would come to live with them in Montgomery to finish her senior year in high school.^[4] In September 1952, Altona Johns moved her children from Montgomery to take a position at Virginia State College in Petersburg. In May 1953, after four and a half stormy years at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, its deacons accepted one of her husband's several resignations.

As Dexter’s pastor from 1947 to 1952, Johns was an early proponent of civil rights activity in Montgomery, urging his congregation to challenge the traditional status quo. He was well known for his controversial sermon topics, such as "It Is Safe to Kill Negroes in Montgomery,” and he also shocked his middle‐class congregation by selling farm produce outside the church. His early activism and challenges to the power structure paved the way for the congregation of Dexter Baptist Church to receive Martin Luther King Jr as his successor. At King’s request, he returned to Dexter as guest preacher for its 79th-anniversary service. In addition to his speaking engagements, Johns also served as the director of the Maryland Baptist Center from 1955 to 1960 and was active in Farm and City Enterprises, Inc., an economic cooperative that enabled farmers to sell their goods directly to the consumer. Johns continued to preach until his death in 1965.^{[2][5] [9]}

Vernon Napoleon Johns died in Washington, DC on June 11, 1965. He was buried at Vernon Johns Farm Cemetery in Darlington Heights, Virginia.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ 1900 United States Federal Census: Year: 1900; Census Place: Spring Creek, Prince Edward, Virginia; Page: 11; Enumeration District: 0073; FHL microfilm: 1241723 Ancestry Record 7602 #72218847
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Momodu, S. (2017, January 16). Vernon Napoleon Johns (1892-1965). BlackPast.org. accessed 06-05-w021 Biography
3. ↑ Image U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918: Registration State: Ohio; Registration County: Lake County Ancestry Record 6482 #18502941
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Luker, Ralph E (2003) Projects - Johns the Baptist website accessed 06-05-2021 Vernon Johns
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Turner, M. (1991) Vernon Johns - Farmer, Preacher, Civil-rights Pioneer African American Leaders - Oberlin Connection accessed 06-05-2021 Bio of Johns
6. ↑ 1930 United States Federal Census: Year: 1930; Census Place: Lynchburg, Lynchburg (Independent City), Virginia; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0022; FHL microfilm: 2342202 Ancestry Record 6224 #98162208
7. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census: Year: 1940; Census Place: Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia; Roll: m-t0627-04414; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 20-64 Ancestry Record 2442 #147148174
8. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census: Year: 1940; Census Place: Buffalo, Prince Edward, Virginia; Roll: m-t0627-04285; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 74-2 Ancestry Record 2442 #17278330
9. ↑ Initial Nominations for Virginia Emancipation Proclamation and Freedom Monument. pdf accessed 06-05-2021 Nomination of Johns page 20 of 28
10. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/7219193/vernon-johns : accessed 06 June 2021), memorial page for Dr Vernon Johns (22 Apr 1892–11 Jun 1965), Find A Grave: Memorial #7219193, citing Vernon Johns Farm Cemetery, Darlington Heights, Prince Edward County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave .

See also:

• Wikipedia contributors, "Vernon Johns," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Vernon Johns (accessed June 5, 2021).
• Wikidata: Item Q7922160

• A television film, Road to Freedom: The Vernon Johns Story (1994), written by Leslie Lee and Kevin Arkadie, was based on an unpublished biography by Henry W. Powell of The Vernon Johns Society. It was directed by Kenneth Fink and stars James Earl Jones in the title role. Former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the film’s co-executive producer. (available on Netflix and Prime)

• Martin Luther King, Jr. - Career in Ministry, Biography of Johns, Vernon accessed 06-05-2021 Vernon Johns bio

• Luker R.E. (2006) Murder and Biblical Memory: The Legend of Vernon Johns. In: Appleby J. (eds) The Best American History Essays 2006. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. Link to Preview

• Historical Markers Database website accessed 06-06-2021 Birthplace of Vernon Johns