When you have nothing to lose, you can risk everything. Bruce Johnson’s journey is the culmination of his family's stories—the ultimate American story of race, opportunity, and perseverance.
Bruce Johnson retired from WUSA9 (CBS) after serving 44 years as an anchor and reporter. One of the District's most trusted, honored and recognized journalists, Johnson's assignments for WUSA9 took him worldwide. But Johnson's most inspiring story is in his book, "Surviving Deep Waters: A Legendary Reporter's Story of Overcoming Poverty, Race, Violence, and His Mother's Deepest Secret."
There was no reason to bet on Bruce Johnson, given where he started. Poor, Black, and raised by a single mother who had a secret. He was the child she hid in plain view from the rest of her family. Johnson spent his youth at Chickasaw Park in Louisville—Kentucky's segregated west end. He would grab the low-hanging tree branches, then swing over the Ohio River before dropping into the dangerous water below. He didn't know how to swim but was fearless and knew to paddle quickly back to shore before the current could catch him. This tenacity served him well, and he learned to be a risk-taker early on. As an adult, Johnson set out to just make a living—to do better than Black folks who tried their best before while making his Momma and Grand momma proud. His journey to becoming a successful TV journalist nearly killed him, but he refused to treat himself as a victim. His role was to use his voice and example to pull others out of deep waters.
Johnson will be in conversation with The Washington Post local columnist Courtland Milloy. Coming to The Washington Post from the Miami Herald in 1975, Milloy has covered crime and politics in the District and the transition of Prince George's County, Md. from a mostly rural white D.C. suburb to the wealthiest predominantly Black county in the country. He has also written for The Post's Style and Foreign sections and for The Washington Post Magazine. In 1983, he began writing a column, which runs on most Wednesdays.
The event is hosted in collaboration with The Washington Association of Black Journalists.
AGE GROUP: | Seniors | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Author Talk |