REASON TO FIGHT

It was a double injustice—

Bernice Johnson was wrongly imprisoned, then wronged in prison.


Reason To Fight is the story of Bernice Johnson, an African American woman who in 1926 acted in self-defense but was sentenced to two years hard labor in the Mississippi State Penitentiary—The Infamous Parchman Farm. While serving time, Bernice was assaulted by a white authority figure and became pregnant.  Bernice’s baby was born on November 19th, 1928, three days after she was released from prison. That child was Fred Douglas Johnson, Father of Hiram Johnson—The author of this book.


Reason To Fight is a real life-detective story that reveals how Hiram Johnson learned the truth about his family history. Johnson made the most of his experience as a professional law enforcement officer as he tracked down leads and brought to light secrets that had been hidden for decades.