The MLK committee members aren't the only ones who hold Johnson in high regard. Television mogul Oprah Winfrey traveled to Yosemite to interview Johnson about national parks. He also appeared in documentarian Ken Burns' PBS film series, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea." Johnson also wrote a fictional book titled "Gloryland," a copy of which he personally gave to President Barack Obama. Given such accomplishments, Drummond Jr. said, Johnson's Merced appearance is a "feather in the cap" of the event. Drummond Jr. said Johnson is also a role model for young people, especially those from urban venues who haven't had much exposure to national parks. "He was a dream choice," Drummond Jr. said. "The idea of having a parks guy in to talk about getting kids and families out to the parks to enjoy them is a great opportunity." Johnson has been a park ranger for more than 20 years. He traveled frequently because his father served in the Army, which meant several trips abroad. One of those trips was to the Bavarian Alps, which positively influenced his view of the outdoors. He also served briefly in the Peace Corps in the West African nation of Liberia. "Those were very profound experiences for me, and I think they led to me having this career," he said.
Liberia RPCV Shelton Johnson chosen to serve as grand marshal for Merced's 15th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and march
Grand marshal 'dream choice:' Yosemite ranger adds to accomplishments
MLK Committee pick is a teacher, youth role model -- and has even met Oprah.
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By VICTOR A. PATTON
vpatton@mercedsun-star.com
Published: Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011 - 1:58 am
Last Modified: Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011 - 3:25 pm
Shelton Johnson's classroom is probably the most sublime on Earth.
Its stone walls launch 3,000-plus feet into the sapphire sky. The floor is a snow-covered meadow with crystal rivers and streams winding through it. And an endless spectrum of grasses, wildflowers and prismatic waterfalls appear in spring.
As the 52-year-old Yosemite National Park ranger describes it, that's just the tip of the mountain peak.
"And it's always changing. That's my classroom," Johnson said. "And everyone who comes into this space is a student. But the real teacher isn't the rangers. It's Yosemite -- that's the teacher."
When Johnson isn't extolling the natural grandeur of his surroundings, park visitors might find him dressed in post-Civil War military garb, giving a theatrical history lesson about Buffalo Soldiers -- black U.S. Army regiments who patrolled Yosemite during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Or maybe talking to a group of inner-city teens about his days growing up in Detroit and how he fell in love with nature after visiting the Bavarian Alps.
"Once you've been to places like this, it gets in your blood," he explained. "And that's what happened to me."
On Monday, Mercedians will be able to hear more of Johnson's colorful stories. He's been chosen as the grand marshal of this year's 15th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and march, which honors the legacy of the trailblazing civil rights leader.
Accomplishments impress
Johnson was chosen to serve as grand marshal by the march's organizing committee, an effort spearheaded by Eugene Drummond Sr. and his son, Merced recreation supervisor Eugene Drummond Jr.
The MLK committee members aren't the only ones who hold Johnson in high regard. Television mogul Oprah Winfrey traveled to Yosemite to interview Johnson about national parks. He also appeared in documentarian Ken Burns' PBS film series, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea." Johnson also wrote a fictional book titled "Gloryland," a copy of which he personally gave to President Barack Obama.
Given such accomplishments, Drummond Jr. said, Johnson's Merced appearance is a "feather in the cap" of the event.
Drummond Jr. said Johnson is also a role model for young people, especially those from urban venues who haven't had much exposure to national parks.
"He was a dream choice," Drummond Jr. said. "The idea of having a parks guy in to talk about getting kids and families out to the parks to enjoy them is a great opportunity."
Johnson has been a park ranger for more than 20 years. He traveled frequently because his father served in the Army, which meant several trips abroad. One of those trips was to the Bavarian Alps, which positively influenced his view of the outdoors. He also served briefly in the Peace Corps in the West African nation of Liberia.
"Those were very profound experiences for me, and I think they led to me having this career," he said.
On a mission
As a black man serving as a park ranger, Johnson said, one of his prime missions is to increase ethnic diversity in the national parks. From Johnson's perspective, the national parks are among the country's greatest treasures, and it saddens him that many blacks haven't personally experienced that beauty.
To further his mission, Johnson wrote a letter to Winfrey, explaining his frustration. Winfrey responded to his letter by making a surprise appearance at Yosemite. The episode aired a few months ago.
Johnson appeared cool and composed on camera, but he was overwhelmed after seeing Winfrey with her television crew. Having Winfrey respond to his letter, Johnson said, was in the same category as winning the lottery.
Winfrey's visit was a special a coup for Johnson, who feels too many people have lost a sense of kinship with the Earth. "You can't expect stewardship of national parks unless you've visited them. You can only care about something that you've actually experienced to some degree," he said.
Johnson said the number of blacks suffering from a kind of nature deficit disorder are even higher.
"There's kids right now, in Oakland, that have never even seen the Pacific Ocean. And there's lots of African-Americans that have never visited a national park, and that have never seen the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone or Yosemite. It just bothers me."
Road trip a risk
The reasons more black families don't visit national parks, Johnson explained, is partly socio-historical. Before passage of civil rights legislation, black families simply weren't willing to travel far from home and possibly risk ending up in a place where they weren't welcome.
"If a black family wanted to go on a road trip around 1950, they had to be very careful. They had to think, 'Where can we go? Where can we stay?' There were some hotels we couldn't stay in. You couldn't just cavalierly jump in the vehicle and go," he recalled. "And when we're not culturally tied to national parks as a result of that absence, it builds on itself and gets transferred down generation to generation."
Even so, Johnson said, he's always encouraged when he sees black families at the park, taking in its myriad natural attractions.
"I think that, just like everyone else, when African-Americans are here, they are connecting with it. But it almost seems like we're the last to hear that this sort of experience is ours."
In his daily work, Johnson does his part to spread knowledge about the national parks, particularly with young people. Case in point: This week he met a group of black students from Raoul Wallenburg Alternative High School and John O'Connell High School in San Francisco.
During his presentation, Johnson related his experiences growing up in Detroit. "It was as if places like (Yosemite) didn't exist," he said. He also talked to students about the Buffalo Soldiers. Like a virtual history book, Johnson referenced little known facts about the black Army regiments, such as how in 1899 they enforced law and order among gold miners in Skagway, Alaska, and in 1915 built the first trails to the top of Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii.
'It inspired me'
Teachers and students alike said they were awed by Johnson's wealth of knowledge. Deont'e Boyland, a 15-year-old student at John O'Connell, said he was impressed to see a black man serving as a park ranger, especially one who has met Obama and Winfrey. "I don't see that a lot, and it really inspired me. I can do a lot too," Boyland said.
Xedex Olivas, a Spanish teacher at O'Connell, said his students quickly identified with Johnson. Olivas was impressed most by Johnson's theatrical portrayal of a Buffalo Soldier. "He is an actor. He personalized it, and he brought it to their particular culture. All of the things a good teacher does," Olivas said.
"A lot of our kids have never even been across the bridge. So this is their first time out of the city, (coming to) this majestic place."
Whether his appearance on Winfrey's show will mean more black visitors to Yosemite and other national parks, Johnson said it's too early to say.
Park attendance typically drops during the winter, Johnson said, so he'll probably have to wait until warm weather arrives to determine if the number increases.
But judging from his e-mail and messages he's received from black viewers, he'll probably be making some new friends. "All the e-mails were very positive, and all of them said, 'We saw "Oprah," and we're coming,' " he said and smiled.
No doubt this summer Johnson's classroom will have plenty of students.
Managing Editor Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@ mercedsun-star.com.
