Johnnie Anderson Jones, Sr.

2010 Louisiana Role Model
National Trends & Services Facet

Mr. Johnnie Jones is an attorney, legal pioneer, NAACP activist, and decorated World War II Veteran.  He is most recognized for his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, which included the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott. His legal writings helped inspire and create the blueprint for Dr. Martin Luther King’s history making Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Baton Rouge Bus Boycott was a non-violent protest where the city’s African-American residents boycotted the public transportation system and in eight days collapsed the city’s bus system. Though the boycott did not end segregation in Louisiana, it inspired civil rights leaders to organize and prepare for their next battle in Montgomery.  His contributions to justice continued in 1960, when Mr. Jones defended the Southern University students who were arrested as a result of a sit-in to integrate a local lunch counter. The case ended in a unanimous ruling by the United States Supreme Court on behalf of Jones and the students. 

His furtherance of history did not only extend to the court room, for in 1972 he became one of five African American members of the Louisiana House of Representatives. His work in the community was powerful and his rich legacy will continue to motivate and inspire others well into the future.  Because of the pioneering work of Mr. Jones and others, America was able to realize an unprecedented notion of an African-American Commander and Chief, President Barack Obama.  His countless sacrifices on behalf of the Civil Rights Movement paved the way for each of us here today, thus it is with great pride and a humble heart that we recognize and say thank you to Mr. Johnnie Anderson Jones, Sr.