In this episode of In the Telling (Season 5, Episode 43): A Global Black Family Podcast, Miranda Mims and Steven G. Fullwood sit down with William “Bill” A. Johnson Jr., the former mayor of Rochester, New York, educator, writer, and longtime public servant. Born and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia, during the Jim Crow era, Johnson reflects on the people and experiences that shaped his life and career. At the heart of the conversation are two influential men: his paternal grandfather, Holmes Johnson Sr., who became a father figure and instilled in him the importance of education, independence, civic engagement, and finding his voice; and his father, William A. Johnson Sr., whose life and choices offered a different set of lessons about family, responsibility, and legacy. Johnson shares stories of growing up in the segregated South, discovering family secrets among his mother's papers decades later, traveling between Lynchburg and Washington, D.C., and finding his path from a young writer to a political science professor, National Urban League leader, and historic three-term mayor of Rochester. Throughout the conversation, he considers how the lessons we inherit—both intentional and unintended—shape who we become. Ultimately, this is a conversation about the power of looking back. “I want to leave a memory," he told us. Johnson encourages us to tell our stories, preserve our memories, and leave something behind for the generations who come after us. 📺 Watch the Full Conversation on YouTube! We’ve launched our Nomadic Archivists Project YouTube channel—watch this episode in living color! For more podcasts, Nomadic Archivists Project: https://www.nomadicarchivistsproject.com/in-the-telling-podcast Original music by Sean Bempong Designs by Christopher Stalling Episode produced by Tanya M. Beltran
