The first year Calvin Johnson wore the robes, his father came to watch. He sat in the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, listening as his son — newly elected and the first Black judge to reach a state bench in Louisiana without a gubernatorial appointment — presided over cases.

Afterward, the elder Johnson didn’t offer praise.

“He didn’t think I was doing jack,” Johnson said.

Instead, “he told me that I needed to be doing more than what I was doing,” Johnson said. “That was 35 years ago. My father would be 123 years old today. And I’m still trying to do more.”

Now, Johnson is being honored with an Encore Award for his continued public service after a judicial career marked by fairness and innovation. His retirement has been anything but quiet, according to those close to him.

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