Minnesota civil rights leader says Carter was an ‘important political voice in the struggle’

NINA MOINI: Flags are at half staff in Minnesota and across the country. President Joe Biden announced a national day of mourning for Carter's funeral on January 9th. Carter was 100 years old. Carter is being remembered as an advocate for human rights and international peace. He's also remembered as changing the relationship between President and Vice President.

His VP was Minnesota's own Walter Mondale. Mondale's son, Ted, told "Morning Edition" that his father and Carter worked closely together instead of operating separately, like most previous presidents and vice presidents.

TED MONDALE: And it really did create a new relationship for the vice president and president. And it worked out very, very well. So he felt that Carter always treated him well, that he never embarrassed him. And we were-- all through history, that's not always been the case.

NINA MOINI: Mondale said his father and Carter had a lot in common. Both came from rural religious families and shared core political values. Well, someone else who had a special relationship to Carter is Josie Johnson. Ms. Johnson is known as Minnesota's First Lady of Civil Rights. And in 1980, she served as the deputy campaign manager in Tennessee for Carter.

I spoke to her this morning where she shared a letter she wrote to Carter in 2015. Here's a portion of that letter read by Johnson, who is 94, along with our conversation about Carter's legacy.

JOSIE JOHNSON: "I have followed your public life and thank God for your commitment to justice, fairness, and equity. Your respect for cultural differences and the strength and courage to speak your mind with conviction has given this old lady hope that someday those values will become a part of the national dialogue and a way of being. And with heartfelt appreciation and respect, I remain Josie Robinson Johnson."

NINA MOINI: Thank you for sharing that. What do you think is Jimmy Carter's legacy?

JOSIE JOHNSON: Well, you know, when I think back on Jimmy Carter, and think about his quiet but strongly political views, for some reason I had a feeling that that attitude might spread throughout America because of his position and his history of commitment to the struggle. So for me, to support Jimmy Carter was an easy commitment.

We were able to talk together and I could feel his commitment, if you know what I mean. It wasn't something that was just a moment of political expression. So I felt very honored to be able to be in a position to introduce him to my community of Minnesota, and to be able to talk openly and honestly with him.

NINA MOINI: And President Carter and many others are in the history books forever with their legacy. How do you feel we as a nation, as a society, should help for younger people to remember these historical figures so that we can continue to learn from the good and bad parts of our history? How do we do that?

JOSIE JOHNSON: Well, that's a very good question. Because we're in a phase of American history where people don't do a lot of research and reading and discussing. And I think what we need to do as a nation is to remember the history that many of these people, like Jimmy Carter and others, presented to us at that time.

NINA MOINI: I hear you describing President Jimmy Carter as a man of great strength, but also gentleness. In the current political environment today, what do you think people could learn from President Carter in how he engaged with others?

JOSIE JOHNSON: Well, you know, I have thought about Carter and the fact that he seemed to have been so naturally concerned about the issues of African-American and other people as well. And it meant a lot for those of us who had been involved in that struggle a long time to actually meet and hear his words, to see his expression, to see him sit among our people and talk in a natural, convincing way.

So Jimmy Carter became, for me, an important political voice in the struggle for our justice. And when I think of him today, and to know that he has left this Earth, and we are then able to think about him and to remember what he did for all people, and particularly for African-American people.

I am mixed with sadness to lose Jimmy Carter, and the knowledge that people like Jimmy Carter can be a part of the struggle. And to encourage that, work for that, believe in it, and have us commit ourselves to justice and equality.

NINA MOINI: Josie Johnson, it's been an honor to have you join the program. Thank you so much.

JOSIE JOHNSON: Thank you very much for inviting me.

NINA MOINI: That was Minnesota civil rights leader Josie Johnson, who served also as Jimmy Carter's deputy campaign manager in Tennessee.