2011 Summer Youth Leadership ambassadors
The legacy of Officer Johns occupies a permanent place in our hearts. His courage inspires us to strive toward a future without hatred and bigotry. In his honor, we, the Stephen Tyrone Johns Summer Youth Leadership ambassadors, pledge to embrace the ideals Officer Johns sacrificed his life to protect.
We are committed to actively engage in our communities, to reach out to others, to promote human dignity, and to confront hatred and bigotry wherever we are in the world and for as long as we live. Together, we stand hand in hand. In the name of Stephen Tyrone Johns, we are a community in action.
In memory of our beloved colleague Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, the Museum established a program in his name in 2010 to provide 50 outstanding high school students from the Washington, DC, area with an intensive seven-week educational internship at the Museum.
The Stephen Tyrone Johns Summer Youth Leadership Program is designed to help young people develop skills to become leaders in their communities who will stand up against hate. Those chosen to participate study the lessons of the Holocaust, lead tours and discussions, and work closely with their peers from around the country, creating a network of young people who will reach out to others and promote human dignity.
Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns died heroically on June 10, 2009, while protecting Museum visitors and staff from a brutal attacker, avowed racist, and antisemite. The tragic loss of Officer Johns is a stark reminder that the ideals for which he sacrificed his life are far from being realized. Confronting hate is an urgent and ongoing challenge. Through the Summer Youth Leadership Program, today’s youth pledge to help lead us toward a better future.
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