Guide Note

Vernon Johns was an American religious leader from Virginia. He was an early Civil Rights activist, giving politically-charged sermons as early as the 1920s. Because his rhetoric so closely resembled that of the American Civil Rights Movement to come, Johns credited with being the father of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.¹

Fast Facts

1. Born: April 22, 1892 in Darlington Heights, Virginia
2. Alma Mater: Oberlin College
3. Early Civil Rights activist
4. Considered the father of the American Civil Rights Movement¹
5. Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s predecessor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church
6. Died: June 11, 1965 in Washington, D.C.
7. Cause of death: Heart attack

Johns' work influenced many people who would be instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s. He was the pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama from 1947 - 1952, directly preceding Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Johns was also a mentor to King's fellows in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Ralph Abernathy and Wyatt Walker.