By ANGYE MORRISON
amorrison@discoveringbulloch.com
Fifteen-year-old Thurgood Johnson is a sophomore at Bulloch Academy where he plays soccer. He’s into video games, loves to read, and says he likes to tinker with stuff when he has spare time. He’s also into drawing what he calls “little doodles.”
But what the local community may know him for is his participation in the Behold, Here Cometh the Dreamer program, held each year in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his legacy. The event focuses on a keynote speaker, and shines a spotlight on local talent as well.
Johnson, who is the son of Francys and Meca Williams-Johnson has participated in the program since its inception, making him 7 years old when he first took the stage as part of Behold’s lineup.
“I have this faint and vague memory of my mom convincing me to do it, because she said if I do it, she would give me a new Legos set,” he says, smiling.
Most of what he’s done in Behold have been recitations: he’s performed MLK’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, and one of Obama’s as well. Johnson says he’s also read some things. His mother picks some options for him each year, and he chooses from those.
Mical Whitaker, who created the Behold program, says he first took notice of Johnson when he directed a drama camp at the Averitt Center for the Arts. Johnson was about 5 or 6 at the time, he said, and Whitaker says he noticed a “spark in Thurgood that you don’t see in everyone.”
Whitaker said that during that first Behold program, Johnson was noticed by the planned speaker for the second program, who requested that Johnson be included when she returned.
“He’s just such a good example of a teenager knowing the power and majesty of the arts,” Whitaker said of Johnson.
Johnson’s parents have been supporters of the Behold program from the beginning, sponsoring it as well as participating. Meca Williams-Johnson says that support is important.
“We don’t want to lose that rich resource we have,” she said. “So we want to support it as much as possible. It takes the community to keep it running, so we try to be involved in ways that we think will fit in our schedule, so that we can get the family involved.”
She encourages her eldest son to participate because she says it will help him, both now and in the future. She laughs as she says she doesn’t remember offering Legos, but she adds that his participation in Behold isn’t an option.
“It’s really important in his development, that he understands challenge and know that anything is possible if you put your best effort forward,” she said. “Once you master that challenge, you’ll have a history of it, so when you approach something else that’s new, you won’t be so fearful.”
Ressie Fuller, who works with Whitaker on the Behold program, has also taken notice of Johnson.
“It has been a delight working with Thurgood, because as with his parents, you never get a complaint from him. If you ask him to do something, he does it,” she said. “It’s almost as if he’s glad to do it. He’s so sharp, so tuned in to things. He kind of keeps you on your toes. You don’t feel as if you’re talking to a teenager when you talk to him.”
Fuller says that Johnson’s participation in Behold is important, because seeing a young person be involved is an encouragement to everyone.
“He helps us to see the value, and how we can all use the arts to transform ourselves and transform our community,” she said.
For Johnson, Behold is just one of the things he does. He says he has enjoyed playing soccer, which he began around the first grade. Being on a team has taught him communication skills, and helped him learn anger management and how to deal with people you might not care for. He says he’s not planning to play in college.
“I like to think I’m good, but I’m not that good,” he says, laughing. “I’m a soccer player for the fun of it.”
Johnson is considering Morehouse or the University of Georgia for college, and is looking at becoming a defense attorney. He wants to carry on his father’s work.
“Seeing him come here every day and seeing how my dad works tirelessly to keep this place running. I’m not going to let all of his hard work go to waste,” he said.
His mom says she and her husband are very proud of their son, and think that it’s great he’s considering becoming a lawyer.
But she also encourages him to explore all of his interests and the world around him, so that he can figure out where he can best be a great support to the community and his family.
“I want him to pursue whatever it is that he thinks he would be great at, as well as support other people,” she said.
Williams-Johnson describes her son as “hilarious; really funny.” She says he loves to joke, and he’s kind, sweet, a good conversationalist and communicator, and a great big brother to his younger brother, Langston. She also loves that he loves to read.
“I’m in awe of him with that,” she said.
Johnson says his friends describe him as sometimes quiet and reserved, and sometimes very social. He says he’s very good at AP world history, English and science, but he doesn’t enjoy math or Spanish. Not being a big math or physics person, he says, is one factor that will keep him from his earliest dream.
“From the earliest that I could remember I would really want to be the first man on Mars,” he said. “But I looked it up, and turns out, by the time they reach Mars, I’m not going to be in the age category to go, since astronauts are usually 35 to 50. It’s probably going to happen in the next 10 years.”
So Johnson will, he says, study law and carry on his father’s legacy. Being a defense attorney appeals to him, he says, because he wants to save people from jail.
“I believe that most people that you’re sending to jail don’t need to go, and if they do need to go, the sentences should be lighter. I would think I’m just saving people from overzealous punishment,” he said.
As for his future, both parents are excited for what it can and will be for their son.
“We’re excited for the future ahead. He’s growing and learning, and takes on new challenges,” Williams-Johnson said.