Big props go to the "Yes They Will" slate of candidates who were unanimously elected as Council 20's officers at the union's convention on April 12, 2008. The slate was headed by Geo T. Johnson, who was re-elected to serve as Council 20’s Executive Director, and James E. Ivey, who was re-elected as Council 20 President. The other officers include:

DC Council 20 newly elected officers and executive board members.
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Africa. A place and a name that seldom comes up in presidential debates or barbershop conversations. Well, that’s about to change in a big, big way.

Within the next year, the Pentagon will establish America’s first permanent military footprint on the continent, largely to protect U.S. security and economic interests – primarily oil.

Few Americans even know that Nigeria and Angola, two West African nations, supply more oil to America than Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates – combined. The thirst for Africa’s oil and other resources has magnified its strategic value to the U.S., Europe and China.

But it has also magnified the urgency for black Americans, especially, to connect with contemporary Africa directly, to understand the new thinking on the continent and to support its self-development with tourist and investment dollars; with an open mind that’s free of negative stereotypes; and with political pressure on Congress and the White House not to pimp Africa for its wealth like previous colonizers.

In this exclusive series of articles for District Council 20 AFSCME, members will get a “snapshot” of modern Africa through the journey of Council 20 Executive Director Geo T. Johnson, who visited two African nations this summer – Zambia and South Africa.

Johnson left as a tourist and he returned as a witness to an important moment: Africa is taking center stage with the global players.

Africa On the Rise –Introductory Essay on Geo T. Johnson’s Africa Trip

Africa is still a vague place to many Americans, and the mainstream media feeds the tendency to tune out Africa. But Geo T. Johnson, AFSCME Council 20’s executive director, spent three weeks in Africa this summer, and he saw a continent struggling but on the rise.
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Zambia – Return to the Source



The first stop on Geo T. Johnson’s tour was Zambia, where he paid tribute to a fallen son and spent time with a living legend in Zambia – Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of Zambia after independence from Britain.

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Zambia Photos - 1
Zambia Photos - 2


South Africa – Still a Long Road to Liberation



What has become of South Africa 17 years after Nelson Mandela walked out of prison as a free man and more than a decade since black voters put an end to white-minority rule in government? Geo T. Johnson saw glimmers of hope but also ghosts of apartheid’s past.

Part I – Johannesburg
Part II – Cape Town
Cape Town Photos
Shantytown Photos
Robben Island Photos

Geo T. Comes Home

Geo T. Johnson with Kenneth Kaunda,
the beloved former president of Zambia

When he returned to DC, Geo T. Johnson knew his three-week stay in Zambia and South Africa had changed him in profound and surprising ways. The new more mellow Council 20 executive director reflects on his historic trip across the waters.

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