Public Justice Center’s 30th
When Joyell Johnson, 28, was invited to the Public Justice Center’s 30th anniversary celebration, she said she “jumped at the chance” to hear renowned social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson speak. Johnson, a Reservoir Hill resident, shares Stevenson’s passion for racial and gender equality. As an attorney, Johnson works as a Baltimore Corps equity and opportunity fellow at the Family League of Baltimore in the city court system. In her “off hours,” Johnson works as a community organizer for girls who are “healing from sexual abuse.” “I wanted to be with a nonprofit working on the ground more closely, and then doing pro bono services on the side,” she said. When it came to her appearance, Johnson said it wasn’t trends that interested her as much as showing a style that reflected who she is. And what did she hope that message was? “That I am professional, but fun, confident, feminine. And I’m not afraid of curves, my culture — being African, especially when I’m wearing head wraps or [African fabric] Ankara designs,” she said. HER CALLING: “It comes from me growing up not realizing that I have privilege as a middle-class black woman. My family didn’t really talk about race or anything like that. So I grew up thinking that if everyone just tried, everything would be fine. And throughout college and then traveling independently — I’ve been to over 12 countries alone — that gave me a reality check.”