Nellie Stone Johnson Timeline
|
| Year |
Event |
| 1905 |
Born in Lakeville, MN, December. |
| 1920s |
Attended the University of Minnesota and joined the Young Communists League, the Young Socialists and the Socialist-Labor Party. |
| 1930s |
While working as an elevator operator at the Minneapolis Athletic Club, her wages were cut from $15.00 to $12.50 per week. She responded by secretly organizing the workers into a union.
First woman vice president of the Minneapolis Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union.
First women to serve on a national contract committee to negotiate equal pay for women.
|
| 1934 |
Joined Minneapolis branch of the NAACP. |
| 1941 |
Introduced to Hubert H. Humphrey and became a mentor to him regarding issues of civil rights. |
| 1944 |
Delegate to the state convention of the Farmer-Labor party.
Worked with Hubert Humphrey to merge the Democratic party and the Farmer-Labor party, which ultimately became the DFL party.
|
| 1945 |
First black elected to a city-wide office: The Minneapolis Library Board. |
| 1947 |
Lobbied and secured endorsements for the Minneapolis Fair Employment Practices Act, which outlawed job discrimination in the city. The county did not pass similar legislation until the 1960's. |
| 1950s |
Worked through the NAACP to desegregate the US armed forces. |
| 1955 |
Lobbied for legislation to outlaw job discrimination within the state of Minnesota. |
| 1960s |
Authored employment and civil rights legislation.
Organized the campaign of the first black Minneapolis City Council member.
|
| 1963 |
Opened her own shop, Nellie's Alterations, in Minneapolis. |
| 1980s |
Served two terms on the Democratic National Committee. |
| 1988 |
Honored by the W. Harry Davis Foundation for her service to the community. |
| 1989 |
Establishment of the "Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship." This scholarship is awarded to minority students from union families.
Participated in a discussion to diminish hostility/racism between Jewish and black women.
|
| 1993 |
Inspiration for one of the nameless bronze sculpture "Shadow Spirits" by artist Ta-Coumba Aiken and Seitu Jones. The statues represent individuals who contributed to the development of Minneapolis and are symbolic of persons who are omitted from the pages of history. |
| 1995 |
Received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Cloud State University. |
|
2001
|
Minneapolis elementary school is named for Nellie Stone Johnson. |
| April 2, 2002 |
Nellie Stone Johnson dies in Minneapolis at age 96. |
| |
