From “N-Word” to Mr. Mayor: Experiencing the American Dream
Otis S. Johnson
Visit Listening to Literature for more information about this book and books from other episodes.
About the Book
The biographical book From “N-Word” to Mr. Mayor is Dr. Otis S. Johnson’s firsthand account of his compelling journey experiencing the American Dream during Jim Crow to the 21st century. Dr. Johnson was born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1942. It was his intent to use his life’s journey as an example of how people, especially of his generation, had to struggle with being called the “N word” all of their lives, no matter how much they achieved in society. While he decided to be politically correct with the title—a title that, like the author, is complex and multilayered—the contents in the book reflect his life as a black person living in the United States of America. The book documents his journey through the Jim Crow era, the civil rights movement, affirmative action, becoming mayor of Savannah, and experiencing the positives and negatives of being black during President Barack Obama’s terms in office.
This is the second part of a two-part episode featuring Dr. Johnson. Part I aired on September 8, 2017.
About the Author
Many know Otis Samuel Johnson, Ph.D., as the sixty-fourth mayor of Savannah. After serving in this role for eight years (2004–2011), Dr. Johnson was appointed a scholar in residence in 2012 at Savannah State University. He was a member of the National League of Cities’ Council on Youth, Education, and Families during his tenure as mayor and chaired the council in 2009. Currently, he serves on the boards of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation and MDC, Inc., in North Carolina. Dr. Johnson was a faculty member at Savannah State University for twenty-one years. He retired from SSU in 2002 as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
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