About Me: Annette Johnson for Trustee

Annette Johnson For Trustee

Nice to Meet You!

 

Hello, my name is Annette Johnson, and I am the current Pike Township Trustee. I grew up in Indianapolis–on Annette St actually– and it has been an honor to be the Trustee of Pike Township. I hope that you will support my re-election on May 3rd, 2022.
I am a mother, grandmother, proud Democrat, activist, and a bit of a rabble-rouser. In the community, I am known for being everywhere, but also for standing up for what’s right. I hope you like what you hear in my story and get involved with our campaign.

My Family:

 

I am so lucky to live in Pike Township, and both of my children and my four grandchildren live here too.  My partner is a retired Indianapolis Fire Fighter. He is fantastic, and we have many great adventures together.

A single mother raised me with my five siblings on the near northwest side of Indianapolis. My mother was a true matriarch, a fierce protector of our family, and a community activist.  She was a nurse, and one of my first memory of politics was going to a picket line with her to support striking hospital workers who wanted better working conditions and more resources for patient care. My mother became a pastor and helped lead a church until she passed away in late 2020.

My mother’s love of community, faith, family, and social justice still burns inside me.Annette Johnson For Trustee

My Faith:

 

The church is a big part of my life.  I am a member, usher, and Sunday school teacher at  Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.  Our church is very active.  I also help direct the Black History month play every February and lead our community garden project and political committee.

Ecumenical and interfaith activities are a big part of my life also.  I am the Secretary of Concerned Clergy and am a board member of Faith In Place, a leading interfaith environmental justice organization. God is a God of creation!

I am proud that Pike Township, my community,  has diverse religious and ethnic communities.

My education and vocation:

 

A friend of mine recently joked that I was a lifelong learner. That is true! I have a bachelor’s degree from Martin University and three master’s degrees from Ball State. I am even currently working on a doctorate in community education. I consider myself both a lifelong learner and a teacher. Before becoming Trustee, I worked in education as a teacher and at the Indiana statehouse on education policy.

Activism and Politics

Annette Johnson For TrusteeI am a lifelong activist and lover of politics.  I have seen what happens when the community gets together and fights for the common good. Unfortunately, I have seen the ugly side of politics, which I will talk more about on my blog.

But, I was part of the effort to help Barrack Obama nearly win the 2008 Democratic primary in Indiana and then was a leading volunteer to help him win Indiana and the presidency in the general election.  I was a delegate for Obama at the 2008 convention. And, for Joe Biden in 2020.

As an elected official, I served on the Pike Township Advisory Board from 2004 to 2018.

In 2018, I decided to do something that people in local politics thought was crazy; I ran for Pike Township Trustee against a 16-year incumbent. But, I won by 300 votes in the primary in May 2020 and am now finishing up my first term as Trustee.