How Hope Became an Activist

About George M. Johnson

George M. Johnson first became an activist in Grade Five when he and his class raised awareness about pollution and removed rubbish from Grindstone Creek in Waterdown Ontario. Since 1991 when he moved to Kamloops British Columbia he has been the Chair of Global and Community Action at Kamloops United Church and actually wrote and performed in the play and anti-fashion show described in How Hope Became an Activist. He is an award-winning writer passionate about telling stories with humour to create empathy and provoke change. In 2019 he received the Y.M.C.A. Peace Medal for his social justice work and writing. He is a Professor and Chair of the English and Modern Languages Department at Thompson Rivers University. He and his wife Nina have two children. About the Illustrator: Danielle Grandi's last formal art class was a tenth grade course in sketching fruit and random bowls but every life change since has provided inspiration for countless personal art projects none of which involve fruit or bowls. She loves to work in coloured pencils on watercolour paper in part because it adds a rough textural element and also because it's too frightening to actually use watercolour paint on watercolour paper. Someday she plans on taking a course in watercolours and hopefully overcoming her fear of them. Until that day however she will continue to produce colourful whimsical creations much to the delight of her family and friends. She lives in Richmond Virginia with her husband and her two sons.