Bobbie Johnson RN's Page

Zip Code:

60615

About Me:

As a nurse working on the South Side of Chicago, Bobbie Johnson saw first hand the lack of hope that young people have about their future, and the devastating violence, drug abuse, poor academic skills, and lack of opportunity that feed a cycle of failure. Furthermore, as a high school dropout and teen mother, she had experienced them herself. Johnson’s ability to complete her education and to give back to the community was based on targeted programs that funneled her back into higher education and her involvement in music. Given that many of the programs that she benefited from no longer existed, Johnson resolved to create her own organization that could fill in the gaps left by schools and social service agencies. Johnson built off her extensive connections and leadership roles in anti-illiteracy, infant mortality reduction, and community development programs, as well as Black fraternal organizations, to leverage funding and in-kind support for Race To Knowledge.

Sample Accomplishments:

Serve as 3rd Ward Republican Committeeman

AT&T “People’s Choice Star Award” in conjunction with Management Planning Institute. $5,000 grant awarded to outreach and assess cultural,
Family Literacy and technology needs of families learning together in the Grand Boulevard Community. AT&T Pioneers worked as volunteers.

Serve in an advocacy capacity to plan strategies for health and education for residents in the city of Chicago. Registered Nurse who for the past 30 years has worked in the Health Care Industry in numerous capacities.

Created a Literacy Program called “Art Zone” that empowers youth through integrating Arts activities in the community.

Work with numerous grassroots organizations implementing strategies. Served as Illinois Coordinator of Assault On Illiteracy Process (AOIP) A coalition that addresses the social ills of African Americans such as illiteracy, tithing black religious institutions, supporting black businesses, unemployment, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, child abuse, crime, economics and political empowerment.

Director of Legislation – National Student Nurse Association and Director of Legislation State of Illinois Student Nurse Association 1985-1987. Duties included serving on the (SNAPI) Board (State Nurses Active In Politics in Illinois). While serving my office I represented 250,000 nursing students across the nation. This position stressed a strong emphasis on lobbying for Health Care Legislation at the local, state and national levels.

Working through a community network, Race To Knowledge combines the performing arts, computers, science and math with health education to raise the self esteem of high risk groups. One of Race To Knowledge’s objectives is to empower youth through integrating arts activities and linking community resources and programs in the Greater Grand Boulevard community, a low-income, African-American neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. For example, the Youth Telling Their Own Story projects enables young people to create a time line of African-American history by doing research in Chicago’s cultural institutions. The participants then create stories, plays, songs, and dances to reflect their own sense of their history and future. Race To Knowledge employs local artists, cultural groups, and cultural institutions to assist with writing, production, and performance of these reflections. The intensive writing and one-on-one interaction with artists allows the youth to build literacy, research, conflict resolution, leadership, and group skills. Race To Knowledge is also developing a Mobile Unit for Learning in Education and Health (MULEH), which will give young people access to computer technology in their own neighborhood that reaches beyond the school
Day and place and creates a physical link between sites and programs to get at health issues that contribute to illiteracy. This program is an initiative closing the “digital divide.”

Company or Organization Name

Race To Knowledge, Inc. & Save The Rosenwald Coalition

Industry

Education, Business, Government, Social Services, Professional, Banking, Real Estate, Art, Music, Theatre, Media, Film, Tourisim, Entertainment, Advertising, Technology, Construction

Website:

http://www.juliusrosenwaldapartments.lecktronix.net

Blog:

http://www.juliusrosenwaldapartments.lecktronix.net

Facebook ID:

http://www.juliusrosenwaldapartments.lecktronix.net

What your goals for building a better Bronzeville community?

ROSENWALD COMMONS
A New Model For Success

The community where Rosenwald Commons is located is community area (38) Grand Boulevard otherwise known as Bronzeville or the Black Metropolis. The city of Chicago has a Black Metropolis Historic District and the National Park Service has designated the Black Metropolis Trail. There is an effort to designate Bronzeville as a National Heritage Area. Rosenwald Commons supports a number of heritage development themes and connects to other supported projects in the area like the Michigan Boulevard Garden Apartments (The Rosenwald), which was placed on "America's 11 most endangered Sites" by the National Trust for Historic Places, Hall Branch Library, DuSable High School, Swift Mansion, The Forum and the Wabash YMCA, which was awarded a National Trust Honor Award in 2002. The area encompasses 31st Street on the North, 51st Street on the South between State Street and King Drive Avenue.

“Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) utilized his fame and fortune for the benefit of humankind through his practice of philanthropy. His fortune was amassed during his career which culminated in his presidency of Sears, Roebuck and Company. It was used to create programs targeting the inequality and education of Jewish and African-American populations.

Julius Rosenwald created the Julius Rosenwald Fund in 1917 to coordinate his contributions for African American education. Guided by Booker T. Washington, Rosenwald supported the expansion of public education for rural southern blacks within the context of segregation and vocational training.

The Rosenwald Endowment Fund ensures the resurrection and enshrinement of the legacies of both men by protecting the re-development of the Michigan Boulevard Garden Apartments (Rosenwald Apartments); a living breathing monument which is the last standing vestige that gives evidence to anything ever happening.

The mission of the fund is to:

1. Educate
2. Foster human development through economic empowerment
3. Archiving the legacy
4. Infrastructure improvements to the Michigan Boulevard Garden Apartments and surrounding land partials