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SCHS: About the Society — Rosette Detail

Ed Johnson v. Tennessee Focus at Hometowns Chattanooga

Hometowns Chattanooga students pose within the Ed Johnson Memorial during a program field trip

28 students from 18 high schools in Tennessee and Georgia participated in a two-week Hometowns program in Chattanooga this past June. Selected scholars examined the federal judiciary through the lens of the historic Ed Johnson v. Tennessee, which prompted the only criminal trial in Supreme Court History, United States v. Shipp (1909). Over the course of the program, students learned from:

  • 6 Federal and state judges
  • The US Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee as well as members of the US Attorney’s Office and Federal Defenders
  • 3 Professors from local universities
  • Author Peter Canellos
  • A team of dedicated legal mentors from Judge Collier’s Chambers
 
Dr. Alicia Jackson’s historical context session and Judge Dumitru’s session on Tennessee v. Ed Johnson were highlights for the students. They also loved hearing from Peter Canellos and Judge Collier about Associate Justice John Marshall Harlan’s role in both the Johnson and Shipp cases. One student reported,
“My favorite speaker would be Judge Dumitru. He elegantly captured the trial as a story to be appreciated for its learning experience. It reminded me that one of the reasons we learn about history is so that we do not repeat all of it. His storytelling skills were on another level, and that really helped me absorb what happened during the trial of Ed Johnson.” — Isaiah G.
 
Hometowns students working on their capstone project

Another student shared,

“Today I learned about the economic forces that brought African Americans to Chattanooga. The city’s industrial labor jobs made it a destination for them to locate here, which helped build a significant Black community. I also learned more about the Ed Johnson case, including visiting the actual locations tied to it, like the attorney’s law office and Noah Parden’s house, which made the history feel much more real and personal to me.” — Caleb
 
The Chattanooga scholars produced a brand new capstone project, “The Ed Johnson Heritage Tour,” using the website Clio. Students created entries for each significant location of the Johnson and Shipp cases to help their community understand how much history is around them. While the tour is still in editing and review, it will launch later this year.
 
Hometowns Scholar Silsbee celebrates completing Hometowns Chattanooga with Judge Dumitru

The Society would like to extend its sincere appreciation to Chief Judge McDounough, Judge Collier, Judge Atchley, and Judge Dumitru for providing insights into the federal court system and the Ed Johnson and Shipp cases. We also deeply appreciate the commitment and expertise of Dr. Michelle Deardorff of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dr. Deardorff not only taught several Hometowns sessions, she also secured the UTC Honors College building for the program. Finally, Hometowns Chattanooga would not have been possible without the support of Judge Collier’s chambers: Law Clerks Carrie Stefaniak, Meghna Melkote, Alex Tritell, and Interns Leonor and J.T.