Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 10-26-18

Local
Popular Senior Citizen Encourage Others To Vote
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Mr. Emanuel Johnson exer- cised his right to vote more than 60 years ago. And, he says he has not missed voting since. Now, he is en- couraging others to vote.
“I started voting in the 1950s after I moved to Tampa. I don’t go to the polls now, I vote by mail,” Mr. Johnson said.
Mr. Johnson celebrated his 97th birthday on October 14th. Last weekend, more than 150 people vis- ited the Emanuel P. Johnson Com- munity Center and Gymnasium for his birthday party. “People came from New York, Marianna, and other citizens and everyone sang happy birthday to me,” he said.
Mr. Johnson believes it is very important for anyone who can to vote. He also supports Amendment #4, which will restore some rights to those who have been convicted of a felony.
“If that person has done every- thing the courts ordered, then he should be allowed to vote.”
Tampa and his was one of the first families to move into the newly de- veloped Progress Village Subdivi- sion.
Mr. Johnson and his wife, the late Mrs. Ruby Johnson, raised their 5 sons and 3 daughters in that community. He is widely referred to as “The Mayor of Progress Village.”
The family became one of the first families to move into the newly created Progress Village subdivi- sion in Hillsborough County. He re- tired from DeVoe Paint Company in 1996, after 46 years of service.
Mr. Johnson has been hon- ored on several occasions. In June 2015, Mr. Johnson was among more than 80 veterans in the Tampa Bay Area who were flown to Washington, D. C. to tour the Me- morials. In February 2016, U. S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor included Mr. Johnson in her Vet- erans History Project. His story is now memorialized in the U. S. Li- brary of Congress as a Veteran of World War II.
Additionally, the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners
dedicated the newly constructed community center and gymnasium in his honor the same year.
Mr. Johnson said the right to vote is too important for people not to vote. “Too many people sacrificed so that we can vote. These younger generations seem to have forgotten about the sacrifices that have been made for Blacks to be able to vote with being afraid.”
Festival
EMANUEL P. JOHNSON
... Celebrated his 97
Birthday
th on October 14th
During his 97 years, Mr. John- son has observed many changes pertaining to Civil Rights. He served in World War II and was drafted into the Army in 1942. When it ended in 1945, he was sta- tioned in Hamburg, Germany. He was discharged in 1947.
Mr. Johnson later moved to
Cricket Fall Festival
Bounce Boy, Inc., 5008 E. 10th Ave., Tampa (33619) is hosting the Cricket Fall Festival on Saturday, October 28, 2018, 3-6 p. m. The event is sponsored by Cricket Wire- less.
Come to enjoy bounce house, free food, costume contest, enter- tainment, first come, first served.
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