Though, he died in 1964, Dr. Johnson’s impact on the St. Louis Community continues to be felt. Dr. Johnson became the first known African American in Missouri to be elected to a school board, serving on a three-member Board of Education of the Kinloch School District for 20 years.
He was an outspoken and active critic of the unfair and discriminatory treatment of black students in the Kinloch School District, many times at his own peril. He fought successfully to get proper books for African-American children and assisted in getting four schools built for students of color.
With respect to the Johnson-Wabash Elementary School carrying his name, his wife, Vera Mitchell, said, “It’s a great honor, because it’s letting you know that even though he’s gone on, he lives on.”
The Rev. Dr. Walter L. Johnson’s inspiration led to one Kinloch student becoming a professor as well as superintendent of Kinloch Schools. He is remembered in John A. Wright Sr.’s book, Kinloch, Missouri’s First Black City, “as an example of role models.”