2008 Theme:Â History, Heritage, & Hope:Â Celebrating 10 Years
The Byron & Christine Johnson Lecture/Discussion Series is a programming component of Johnson Legacy, Inc., a nonprofit organization that reflects the spirit of Byron and Christine Johnson, educators, activists, community leaders, and longtime members of Park Hill United Methodist Church. Johnson Legacy, Inc. programming is grounded in the concepts of history, heritage, and hope, as reflected in this year’s theme. The 2008 series marks ten years of programming for the lecture series and signals the forward movement of our organization, as we look back over the last ten years.
I Have a Dream Monument: “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.â€
Saturday, January 26, 2008, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
Reverend Gilbert H. Caldwell, former associate Pastor of Park Hill United Methodist Church, who walked with Dr. King, returns to the Denver area to ask, “Why is King now considered a hero, when deemed considerably less so in life?â€
Desegregating Central High School:Â 50th Anniversary
Saturday, February 23, 2008, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
Carlotta Walls LaNier, the youngest of nine teenagers dubbed the Little Rock 9, will speak on the legacy of the students’ courageous acts of 1957 school year, recently commemorated at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The African Diaspora Revisited:Â Scattered Africa
Saturday, March 1, 2008, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
Dr. Sheila Walker, the country’s leading expert on the retention of Africa culture in the Americas, discusses the legacies of centuries of African labor and culture in the modern world, a topic the lecture series examined for consecutive years.
Fallen Heroes:Â Old and New Legacies
Saturday, March 15, 2008, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
Dr. Ramon Del Castillo, Chair of the Department of Chicano/a Studies at the Metropolitan State College of Denver, and speaker at the 2002 lecture series, assesses legacies of the Chicano Movement in the struggle for civil rights.
The Gullah Experience:Â Sojourn in the Lowcountry
Saturday, April 5, 2008, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
In 2005 & 2007, Denver college students and community members traveled to the sea islands of South Carolina to experience Gullah/Geechee culture.  See highlights of those trips, as well as scenes from Denver’s Gullah Studies Institute.
Destination Freedom:Â Keeper of the Culture
Saturday, April 19, 2008, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
Filmmaker Donnie Betts, whose documentary on the legendary activist/performer Oscar Brown, Jr. has garnered several awards, will discuss how his company, Destination Freedom:Â Black Radio Days, brings Black history to life.
The Harlem Renaissance:Â A Glance Back at the New Negro Movement
Saturday, May 10, 2008, 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.
It’s a fundraiser! Jacquelyn Benton and Dominique Johnson will bring to life the 1920s movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. Music, poetry, and archival footage will round out this culminating event, which is catered. Items available for purchase reflect the Civil Rights Movement, the Negro Baseball Leagues, Gullah/Geechee culture, and the Harlem Renaissance. This event costs $15.00. *All sessions are at Park Hill United Methodist Church, 5209 Montview Blvd. (Montview & Glencoe), Denver, CO 80207.