The Forgotten Warrior
John Fitzgerald “Grand Master Jay” Johnson views himself as a modern-day David (warrior) who could openly oppose Goliath (racial injustice).
He did so in the face of two hard truths.
First, the ideologies of white supremacy, “white privilege,” and white nationalism underlie most racial injustices in America and infect many of its institutions (e.g., government, the military, law enforcement, the judiciary, or the media).
Second, any Black man who pushes back, peacefully, or otherwise, against this insidious triad faces severe retribution.
The day of retribution for Johnson, founder of the Black militia group, Not Fucking Around Coalition (NFAC), was November 10, 2022, when a federal judge sentenced him to 86 months, plus three years of supervised release. He had faced up to 20 years.
The Department of Justice released this statement “According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Johnson, on the evening of September 4, 2020, forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, and interfered with a federally deputized task force officer who was performing official duties, when Johnson aimed a rifle at him.”
Kentucky Derby 2020
On September 5, 2020, the weekend of the 145th Kentucky Derby, NFAC showed up in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, to provide (unsolicited) security for protestors gathered in Jefferson Park demanding justice in the killing of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black EMT.
In the early hours of March 13, 2020, Louisville Metro Police Department officers (LMPD) shot Taylor in her home during the execution of a search warrant.
(In August 2022, the Justice Department charged four current and former LMPD officers with lying to obtain a search warrant and violating Taylor’s civil rights, which carries a maximum of life in prison. One of the officers, Kelly Goodlett, has pled guilty to falsifying an affidavit for the search warrant.)
According to the Associated Press, “Court documents and evidence presented during the trial said Johnson pointed an AR-15 platform rifle and tactical flashlight at two federally deputized officers on a roof in downtown Louisville.”
The rifle, Johnson explains, was unloaded, the safety was on, and he used the scope and flashlight to see who was on the roof.
In a 2020 Sky News clip, Johnson, addresses NFAC members in formation, “Y’all know what our rules of engagement are, right. We don’t point our weapons at nobody unless they point them at you.”
It doesn’t seem likely that Johnson would deliberately ignore his own instructions.
Likewise, whenever Johnson arrived in a city, he coordinated with city and park officials to avoid NFAC involvement in outbreaks of violence or destruction of property, and to avoid confrontations with white militia groups.
(Editor’s note: The weekend of the Derby,WHAS11reported on the arrival of white militia in Louisville.)
Before Louisville, NFAC members were a conspicuous—some might say, provocative—presence (garbed in black, faces covered with black scarves or masks, and carrying military-style weapons) at rallies and marches for racial justice in several cities.
· Stone Mountain, Georgia (July 2020), calling for the removal of the Confederate Memorial Carving depicting President Jefferson David and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson.
· Washington, D.C., (August 2020), participating in the National Action Network’s Commitment March: Get Your Knees Off Our Necks to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington.
· Lafayette, Louisiana, (October 2020), supporting protestors who demanded justice in the police shooting of 31-year-old Trayford Pellerin outside a Circle K store.
A Violent Man?
Despite the language of the federal charges, Johnson’s offenses did not involve, nor result in, violence. On the other hand, consider sentences received by two white defendants whose actions did lead to bodily harm or death for others.
· Guy Reffitt, a Texan, received 7¼ years for his part in the Jan. 6. insurrection, which led to the deaths of five police officers who had served at the Capitol and four people in the crowd.
· In August 2020, Kyle Rittenhouse, fatally shot two men and wounded a third after showing up at protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which erupted after a police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, leaving him paralyzed.
Rittenhouse, then a minor, unlawfully possessed a Smith and Wesson AR-style semi-automatic rifle. Nonetheless, the judge dismissed the unlawful possession charge and the curfew violation charge, and a jury found him not guilty of the remaining charges.
These disparities in outcomes bolster Johnson’s supporters’ claim of racial injustice.
Supporters and Detractors
Eleanor Harvey, Johnson’s friend and native of Oakland, CA, organized The Grand Master Jay Legal Defense at GoFundMe, to raise $1 million. To-date, the fund has collected $291,547.
Harvey, program coordinator for the Bring Him Home Campaign, had urged supporters around the country to hold prayer nights.
During September, October, and November, local leaders, clergy, and community activists participated in “Free Grand Master Jay!” rallies in Louisville.
Among those who have supported Johnson, or publicized his case, are Kathleen Parks, president of National Action Network (NAN) Louisville, Kentucky State Chapter; Jonny Fastlane, host, AllHipHopTV.com; and Roland S. Martin, host of Unfiltered, The Daily Digital Show on YouTube.
On November 14, The Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression and Kentucky NAN held a news conference to denounce the verdict.
Parks stated, “From our perspective, if there was a sense of threat Grandmaster Jay would not be alive today, as history has shown us what happens to (B)lack men in America when law enforcement senses a threat.”
Immediately after the sentencing, Johnson’s legal team filed an appeal.
In April 2021, Graeme Wood, staff writer for The Atlantic, wrote “Johnson is a former soldier, a failed political candidate (Editor’s note: in the 2016 presidential race), a hip-hop DJ, a rambling egotist, and a prolific self-promoter.”
In a January 2021 article about Johnson, I wrote, “I remain ambivalent about (him) and the NFAC; the rational side of me recognizes that his incendiary words can polarize, but the emotional side of me hails his outspokenness.
“African Americans are tired of fucking around. We are tired of DAs not prosecuting police officers for killing unarmed Black Americans. We are tired not having access to affordable housing, quality medical care, racial justice, and economic incentives (e.g., business capital or mortgage loans).
“Men like Johnson speak to that anger and impatience.”
His detractors, not surprisingly, include white militia group leaders, such as Dylan Stevens aka, “The Angry Viking,” who question Johnson’s weapons’ expertise, political motivations, and military record.
In a 2021, WAVE 3 News reported, “WAVE 3 News Troubleshooters obtained records through the Freedom of Information Act. It showed Johnson was demoted and discharged from the U.S. Army, not once, but twice. In both instances, Johnson received an “other than honorable discharge…
“According to the military records, Johnson joined the Virginia National Guard in 1989. He then served in the U.S. Army from October 1990 to July 1997, and again from July 1998 to September 1999 …
“Johnson served as a Single Channel Radio Operator and a Personnel Administration Specialist. During that time, there are numerous military police records depicting multiple arrests.”
A Weapons Expert?
In July 2020, at an NFAC staging area, a member’s gun accidentally discharged that resulted in nonfatal injuries to three people, gun advocate groups took to social media to question Johnson’s leadership and safety awareness.
Johnson responded to critics of the “negligent discharge” by demonstrating how a weapon might discharge when knocked against a solid surface and stating, “(This) shows just how stupid you are.”
One Army vet commented, “I can't believe he actually posted this. I'm a 6-year Infantry veteran and this guy shouldn't even have this firearm in his hands. He's THE LEADER of an armed militia.”
While supportive of Johnson’s Second Amendment right to gun ownership and his First Amendment right to free speech and assembly, some members of the gun community question his avowed knowledge of, or expertise with, weapons.
In a 2020 YouTube video, Maj Toure, founder of Black Guns Matter, discussed Johnson’s reaction to many racist comments and opinions posted online after the gun discharge incident. “I spoke with Grandmaster Jay for about half an hour. I think it’s important to reach out to someone to get context.”
Despite describing Johnson as “standoffish,” “defensive,” and “stoic,” Toure says, “I like the fact that so many melanated beings are exercising their 2nd Amendment right.”
On June 24, he posted to Twitter, “I want EVERYONE to look into these charges against GMJ. It’s WILD.”
In the same video, Hank Strange, Hank Strange Media, says “We all support what (NFAC) is doing. They have the right to be a militia and be armed. They have the freedom to not be a part of the gun community (but) we’re all seeing that some things are going wrong and maybe we could help.”
A Political Casualty?
Whatever one’s opinions about NFAC and its leader, questions remain.
Is Johnson the victim of a justice system that chose to silence his ant-racist, anti-government, and anti-police violence rhetoric?
Would the outcome have been different had a broader spectrum of people, including racial justice activists, Second Amendment advocates, civil rights organizations, or civil rights attorneys across the country had knowledge of his case?
I do not know of any Black media that followed his case from arrest through sentencing.
Outside of local media in Kentucky, few national news outlets followed his case.
If Johnson’s appeals are exhausted, I have no doubt he will become The Forgotten Warrior.
“They imprisoned me Just as I said they would. But not before I planted the seeds of an entire generation of new kings, queens, philosophers, warriors, and proclaimers of The Truth.” —From prison, Grandmaster Jay, November 11, 2022
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