Last week the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center's newsletter announced the Lifetime Peacemaker Award Recipient, Dr. Vernon Damani Johnson! As many of you already know, Damani is the co-founder of Whatcom Human Rights Task Force, political science professor at WWU, and longtime champion of social justice and nonviolence. He has served on the board for the Northwest Coalition for Human Dignity; was a member of WWU's Diversity Equity and Inclusion Task Force; is the director of the Ralph Munro Institute for Civic Engagement; and speaks frequently about Black Lives Matter and the movement toward anti-racism. Damani has focused his research on comparative settler colonial states in the global system and has taken special interest in the role of global citizens in community development in Africa. We are thrilled to see recognition for his contributions toward building a more peaceful and just world, starting here in our own community!

To see Damani’s acceptance speech, please register for our virtual International Day of Peace event, happening the weekend of September 18-20 at whatcompjc.org/idp2020.html

Congratulations to Damani from all of us here at WWU!

Friends and supports of Dr. J, 

We are thrilled to announce that the Vernon Damani "Dr. J" Johnson Scholarship has been fully funded and is now an endowed scholarship! With the help of amazing donors like yourself and the passion of Dr. J, this scholarship will now start to award much deserving students annually. Almost $30,000 raised from 97 donors!!

The political science department will re-open the scholarship application fall 2020 to allow as many students as possible to apply!

If you know a student that is interested in applying or to learn more about this scholarship please visit: https://chss.wwu.edu/political-science/awards-scholarships-and-research-grants  

Thank you again,

Western Washington University

Dear friends of Dr. J, 

Thank you so much for your overflowing commitment and support of this scholarship in honor of Dr. Vernon Damani Johnson! We are so thrilled to see over $22,400 has been raised towards the goal of endowing this amazing scholarship for political science students. We really hope to reach $25,000 before the new year and would love your help in sharing this project with your networks but remember...it's a secret!! The legacy of his impact and activism will live on through these future scholarship recipients and that is a special gift.

Western Washington University