Wednesday was a first for Pastor Lorenzo Johnson, being principal for the day at Earlington Heights Elementary School in Miami.
But he's used to firsts.
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Johnson first walked the halls of the elementary school back in 1961, making history as one of the first Black students to desegregate the school, where students now walk past a mural of him everyday.
That artwork, which also features Johnson's mother and siblings, is a tribute to the first Black family to walk into the once all-white school on Sept. 6, 1961, signifying the end of segregation at the school.
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On Wednesday, he returned, and said he’s honored to share his story with students today.
"Even in the midst of walking into this school, [my mother] said, 'Just keep your head up, and just stay strong and walk,' because during segregation times we didn’t know what would happen," Johnson, who is now the CEO and founder of nonprofit Community Youth Against Violence, said.
Johnson went from class to class, sharing that story with students.
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Jackson Nichols, the Earlington Heights Elementary School president, said having Johnson there was about "inspiring [students] and teaching them to become better people as well as professionals, and whatever they want to be when they grow up."
Now, in addition to being a pastor, Johnson runs the Community Youth Against Violence working to decrease juvenile crime, and hopes to enact a teen curfew.
"We want to let them know that there is value, and we have to continue to expose ourselves to positive things that we can develop value within us," Johnson said.
Reflecting on how much has changed since he first walked these halls, he said it was "excitement to bring back memories and bring joy to my heart."
