Kendrick Johnson
Kendrick Lamar "K.J." Johnson, born on October 10, 1995 in Lowndes County, Georgia, is one of many individuals believed to be a victim of racial discrimination and a massive cover-up by authorities. His family and friends described him to be a sweet and quiet boy, an promising honor roll student, and an avid athlete as a member of the Lowndes County High School Vikings football, basketball, and track teams. According to Johnson's aunt, Anastasia Roe, he "was the life of the party but reserved when he met new people."
"He was the life of the party but reserved when he met new people."
Johnson dreamed of playing professional football in the future. His mother, Jacquelyn Johnson, was an avid supporter of his dreams. She reminiscenced, "He loved football, that was his passion in life. He knew he was going to make it in football. He was the baby boy of the family, he was the one that kept everybody on their toes."
His peers expressed that Johnson was a well-known sophomore around his school, Lowndes High School, in Valdosta, Georgia, and received quite a bit of female attention. However, his reputed popularity may have led to his unfortunate death at the young age of 17.
On January 11, 2013, Johnson's body was discovered by students, headfirst and upside-down in a standing, rolled-up wrestling mat in the Lowndes County High School gym. A preliminary investigation and an initial autopsy conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), led the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office to conclude that Johnson's death was wholly accidental, that he had suffocated due to positional asphyxia, and no foul play was involved. Kendrick Johnson's case was closed on the ruling that Johnson was possibly trying to reach a shoe that fell into the middle of the mat but became trapped.
However, Johnson's parents were not convinced by the lack of evidence, solid explanation, and poor coordination of the investigation. They requested another autopsy be carried out by a private pathologist, and the second autopsy concluded that Johnson's cause of death was blunt force trauma, thus prompting the Johnson family, as well as many others, to believe that Johnson was murdered and there was intent to harm him. Furthermore, when Johnson's body was retrieved for the second autopsy, some of his organs were missing and replaced with newspaper. This raised even more suspicion of a cover-up, as the family believed that the organs were taken so they could not be examined.
Kendrick Johnson's case has been closed since 2016 despite the Johnson family's numerous attempts to refile lawsuits and demand more investigation into his death. Today, Kendrick Johnson is named as one of the many black victims of racial violence and injustice. The nationwide protests and unrest following George Floyd's death has brought Johnson's case back into the spotlight. However, on June 10, 2020, the GBI tweeted about the situation, insisting that Johnson's case is closed and the investigation will not be continued.
Ways to Help
Sign the petition for Kendrick Johnson's case to be reopened
Donate to the Kendrick Johnson Foundation Fund to help support the Johnson family's "mission to raise awareness on the need for increased supervision and safety within our public schools"
Find related updates and information on the R.I.P Kendrick Johnson Facebook community run by his mother, Jacquelyn Johnson
Author: Cynthia Zhang
Contact thettsproject@gmail.com to report misinformation, bias, etc.
Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Kendrick_Johnson
https://www.change.org/p/united-states-supreme-court-justice-for-kendrick-johnson
https://allthatsinteresting.com/kendrick-johnson
https://www.thedailyscholar.com/savant/articles/375