Welcome to
Writers4Higher
This issue, Writers4Higher features
Kenneth Johnson
Hi, Ken. Welcome to the
Writers4Higher family!
Writers4Higher Blog
1.
Tell
me about yourself. Your book(s), your life, your inspiration.
My
name is Ken Johnson. Aside from being an author, culturalist, and specialist in
the field of conflict dynamics—I am also a husband, brother, uncle, Principal
Chief of the Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians, a commander in the Royal
Rangers boys’ youth ministry, a Kentucky Colonel and a native of Florida. In fact, my ancestor was a key founder of
Santa Rosa County, Florida—of which I still reside in.
In
middle school, I asked my parents for a computer. Being poor, my parents
somehow managed to scrape together enough money to buy me a Brothers AX-25
electric typewriter—which I still have to this day. With it, I wrote numerous
award winning stories for various contests. Later, in high school, I became
involved in student leadership. At age 16, I started seeing the schools
diminish beyond repair. So, I decided to drop out with a GPA well over 3.5. The
counselor told me, “There’s the door” and I left out only to have another
eavesdropping counselor call me in. “Mama Ellen,” as she later became known,
gave me some papers for my parents to sign and the next day I was taking
college classes at night while going to high school by day. Feeling that I
needed to do more, I later started Students Against Violence in Education
(SAVE)—a peer counseling service. Through SAVE, I was able to assist some
troubled peers, helped out the school through a profound period of bereavement
at the death of a teacher and mentor, and I even saved a few from suicide.
After
high school, I could no longer count on one hand the number of people I knew
that had committed suicide. Many of my peers had convictions that barred them
from going to school, getting a job, etc. Grateful for not being in that
number, I turned my attention to helping others through student government. I was
elected college District Ambassador where I was enrolled in a number of
leadership classes so that I later could be utilized as a sort of student
lobbyist for upcoming laws. There, I worked with a number of senators,
representatives, college presidents, etc. Part of these efforts were focused on
helping people, who were once convicted as juveniles, to be able to attend
college and get certain certifications.
After
this, I became a substitute teacher. I found the schools in a worse state of
affairs than when I had left them. The teachers were now instructing to the
standardized tests. Youths were routinely hauled away from schools in handcuffs
for seemingly trivial offenses.
Discouraged
with the way things were going, I decided to take a job in the criminal justice
system. I thought I could become numb from the conflict. To the contrary, after
seeing hoards of my former students in shackles and chains, I became more
keenly aware of the social structure going on. I took up writing again—this
time an opinion column called the “X-Factor” with me being called “Mr. X.”
There, I told about life and conflict, culture and society, economics and
policy, and how it all was headed in the wrong path. Later, a friend helped me
get certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a County Court Mediator. A trainer, Dr. Bobo, told me about Restorative
Justice and how it helps communities to take back control. So, I began classes
at the University of West Florida where I trained under Dr. Cheryl Swanson in
the field of Restorative Justice.
During
my time at UWF, I began playing with rubber bands. I later associated different
bands with different skill sets that I possessed both in the field of mediation
as well as Restorative Justice. These ideas developed into a 58 page prototype
proposal that I called “Unbroken Circles.”
It
took over six more years of fighting the system, fighting my peers on both
sides of the aisle, and having to continuously hone my arguments before the
program started taking hold. Now, professionals are heralding it as the best of
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). I now teach other ADR professionals core
components of my program.
Unbroken Circles SM for
Schools
is my first published book. The Unbroken
Circles SM service not only deals with schools but there are
variations for businesses, churches, non-profits/civic organizations, and
government agencies. However, the youth have always held my heart and I wanted
my first book to be about how to fix the schools. Unlike other books of this
type, I pretty much give away all of the knowledge, materials, resources, etc. necessary
for any school, regardless of their income or demographics, to tailor-make a
Collaborative Justice program that will help to lower tardiness and absenteeism
while also improving grades, civic behavior, and a sense of community.
2.
Where
do you see your writing taking you in the future?
It
is my hope that Unbroken Circles SM
for Schools takes off to become a source reference and companion text for
schools and colleges nationwide. I wrote this book to help others and I don’t
want anything less than for it to benefit multiple schools and communities. I
anticipate to continue teaching professionals, giving lectures, and growing the
need for practices that help students rather than just incarcerating them. In
Florida alone, we arrest 58 thousand juveniles a year with many tried on felony
and misdemeanor charges for relatively frivolous offenses. I would love for my
book to turn up the volume on this issue so those numbers will have
significantly diminished three to five years from now.
Aside
from that, writing is who I am. I anticipate sharing my Unbroken Circles SM
service in its many facets. I also plan to write some more culturally-based
works which pick up on key issues I only briefly touched upon in Unbroken Circles SM for Schools.
I
get numerous requests every year to guest write for magazines, newspapers,
blogs, and other sources of media on issues of culture and conflict. This year
alone, I have been nominated for three different social justice awards because
of articles I have written. I cannot expect to depart from this so long as my
written words give groups a voice. By writing, I can help people I’ve never met.
3.
How
do you use your talents/time to help others?
When
you have lived your life as a public servant, it is kind of hard to think how
you use your time and talents to help someone. I have served on so many
non-profit and governmental boards it is almost comical in a way. People that
don’t know me see this young guy and they look in disbelief as I talk about the
numerous programs and projects I have been involved in, the governors I have
counseled as a part of an elected job, the various non-profits I have played a
role in, etc. From a practical standpoint, my job as a conflict specialist is
to help people in need to find solutions and agreement. When I am not doing that, I am helping small
businesses to thrive in a downturned economy, helping young boys to be better
men, helping my fellow tribesmen, and the list goes on. I even have a special
box that I carry with me fishing. In the box is hooks, corks, weights, etc.
because I’m almost always approached by a child, while I am fishing, who
desires to learn how to fish. So, while
I am trying to catch something for supper, I am also teaching the next
generation as well.
I
think that is what I am most proud of—teaching. If your words can find rest in
the hearts and minds of others, something sort of special takes place where a
part of you will never die as it is multiplied with the passing down to others.
I think that is why I love writing about culture and conflict. When I write, I
am teaching others. My words have power and people seem to inherently know they
originate from my heart. And, I think this is why so many people grasp onto
them and try to share them. Good, bad, or indifferent—I am nothing if not
genuine. Just being yourself is sometimes the best help to people. People want
something true and genuine in this plastic society of ours.
Would you like to find Ken?
Check out the links to
this talented author:
Twitter: @KenJohnsonUSA
Crokes: @KenJohnson
Facebook:Ken on Facebook
LinkedIn: Ken on LinkedIn
Personal Website: Ken's Website
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Rhett
DeVane
Fiction
with a Southern Twist
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