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Semifinalists to present design concepts for Ed Johnson Memorial

The Walnut Street Bridge, in the right background, closed to car travel in 1978 and remained in place for more than a decade before it was turned into a popular pedestrian bridge.
The Walnut Street Bridge, in the right background, closed to car travel in 1978 and remained in place for more than a decade before it was turned into a popular pedestrian bridge. The Walnut Street Bridge, in the right background, closed to car travel in 1978 and remained in place for more than a decade before it was turned into a popular pedestrian bridge.

By Staff Report 2 min read

Three semifinalist teams chosen last year to create design concepts for the Ed Johnson Memorial will present their work to the public this week.

The permanent memorial at the south end of the Walnut Street Bridge will commemorate the life of Johnson and recognize the resulting United States Supreme Court case, according to a news release from the Ed Johnson Project.

If you go

› What: Ed Johnson Memorial semifinalist designs unveiled› Where: Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd.› When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday

Johnson, a black man, was hanged on the Walnut Street Bridge more than a century ago after he was falsely accused of rape. His trial changed the course of civil rights laws in the country.

The designs honoring Johnson will be unveiled at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. The public is invited to talk to the teams and to submit written comments and feedback to be compiled and given to the selection committee, which will choose a final design.