Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Remembering Tom Johnson
On Monday, Minneapolis lost Tom Johnson, a good man who had a profound effect both on his community and the lives and work of many of the people in it. I am one of those people.
Tom was a member of the city council and then elected as the County Attorney, the top prosecutor here. He served in that role for twelve years, leaving in 1991 to go into private practice. Both as prosecutor and as a community leader, he pressed for reform of the criminal justice system to address systemic racism, though he would always say that he didn't do enough. I was in many meetings with him where he shifted the topic back to the endemic racial disparities we face here.
I met him through my colleague Hank Shea, who worked closely with Tom in addressing clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic church. That was typical of the causes he chose-- he had a heart for those who had been hurt.
As someone new to town, I deeply appreciated Tom's friendship and mentorship. Just a few weeks ago he sent me a note of encouragement at just the right time, when I needed it most. He was someone who guided you to a better conclusion rather than pushed you there, a rare and welcome trait.
He is someone I will think of and remember for the rest of my life.
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