Services Held for Community Leader Johnson

Tom Johnson, an American Civil Liberties Union board member and a longtime community activist, died April 19 after a long illness.

Johnson, who was 63, was remembered Friday at his funeral as a hard-working man who held many positions over the years to improve conditions in the minority community.

“I think he was a very special person,” said Linda Mills, executive director of the ACLU. “He was involved over his entire lifetime in civil rights and civil liberties. He was a leader who sustained ardent interest in the civil and human rights affairs of this community. He was obviously loved by a lot of people for the work he did for organizations and the community of San Diego.”

A native of Paoli, Okla., Johnson moved to Imperial County with his family during his early years. Johnson worked for Pacific Bell from 1942 until his retirement in 1983.

In 1953, he moved into management as an administrative supervisor for building operations in San Diego and Imperial counties. Johnson was the first black promoted to that level of management by Pacific Bell.

Johnson was honored by the ACLU on March 21 with a Lifetime of Courageous Activism Award.

He was on the board of directors of the ACLU and had been vice president of the organization. He also was a board member of the United Way of San Diego County, the San Diego Urban League Inc. and the United Domestic Workers union.

Johnson received numerous community service awards and twice was president of the San Diego chapter of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People. He also was president of the Black Federation and of the Lincoln High School Booster Club.

Johnson co-developed and co-directed the Summer Management Training Program for minority college freshmen and sophomores. He also taught a special skills and training class for entry-level employees and served as an ad hoc chairman of the Minority Advisory Committee to the president of San Diego State University.

Johnson is survived by his wife of 45 years, Gussi; two sons, Haneef and Zayid Salaam, and a daughter, Victoria Polk.