In a community as ephemeral as Sierra Vista, it’s hard to get long-term participants.

But it is these hidden figures who are dedicated to making the community better than it was when they arrived, lighting the way for others and building beacons and ladders to help them get back on their feet. I have.

One of Sierra Vista’s education and civil rights figures is Maudeline “Connie” Johnson.

After first coming to the Sierra Vista in 1969 while her husband was stationed at Fort Huachuca, Johnson taught at General Meyer Elementary School in Fort Huachuca for 25 years and was principal for another 20 years.

Education is in her blood, she said, as her mother, father and grandfather were teachers.

In an interview last year, Johnson said, “I just loved my kids and enjoyed seeing them progress, work hard and love their kids.

During that time, Johnson also served intermittently on the Sierra Vista Unified School District Board of Directors for 40 years. It was in her 1981 that she joined the board for the first time. Johnson said complaints surrounding her board that did not take into account her teacher’s voice, she said, encouraged her to run for office.

Johnson’s education efforts were fueled by her own experiences of school segregation and educational deprivation.

“Coming from Florida, I was still in a town that had schools for blacks and schools for whites,” Johnson said. “In the small town I went to, Chipley, Florida, you only got to eighth grade, and when it was time to go to high school, you couldn’t go there. High school was all white.”

In addition, she was one of the founding members of the Greater Huachuca Area Chapter of the NAACP.

She said the chapter was formed in August 1969 amid complaints of discrimination and racial profiling from black soldiers stationed at Fort Huachuca. She said housing discrimination was a prominent challenge.

“Some people came and they wanted a house,” Johnson said. , when they tried to get this house, people told them it was not available, even though it was advertised.

So they turned to others to test that claim.

“What they did with the mail was have someone who wasn’t black come in and check the house,” she continued. I found it available. They just didn’t want to sell it to black people.”

She said the branch will work with the Fort Huachuca commander to resolve most discrimination issues.

Johnson’s contributions to the community are noteworthy, as former colleague and SVUSD School Board Chairman Yulonda Butte said. Johnson’s contributions to the educational community were outstanding.

“She was the driving force behind the board,” says Boutte. “She has done so much for the education of all her students. Supporting her education and ensuring fairness when she was educated and served on the board of directors has made her life. was the goal of

Boutte, along with fellow board members, presented Johnson with a plaque honoring her service in the district at a dedication ceremony at the Rosalie Educational Services Center on Wednesday.