About Happy Johnson

Happy spent much of his childhood shuffling in and out of numerous foster care homes. After finding out about her unexpected pregnancy, Happy's biological mother, Rhonda, acted out negatively, thereby prompting his biological father to abandon his newly formed family.

Eventually, Child Protective Services along with Chicago Police officers removed Happy from the arms of Rhonda due to his biological mother's excessive drug use. Happy's early childhood in the drug-infested Ida B. Wells housing projects ended after authorities raided their living room.

His Grandparents were granted full guardianship and raised Happy until their passing, which took place while he was in the 2nd & 3rd grade. He spent the next five years living in foster care and was officially adopted by Ms. Rodgers and Bobby during the summer before he entered high school in 1999.

Happy was reunited with Rhonda, his homeless and ill biological mother on the Eve of Christmas in 2002, about 9 years after his Grandmother's funeral. His long and rigorous search for his biological father concluded when Happy learned that his biological father, Hunter, had been shot dead over drug money.

Despite the lifelong obstacles caused by his unprecedented journey in the foster care system, Happy played varsity Basketball at St. Dorothy Elementary School, graduated and then enrolled at the high school of Hales Franciscan. While attending Hales, Happy was co-captain of the varsity Golf Team, President of the Political Science Club, Editor-in-Chief of the school's bi-weekly newsletter and Class
President during his freshman and sophomore years of high school.

Happy also published a monthly column in the citywide youth newspaper New Expression and was frequently published in the Chicago Sun-Times.

While in high school, He also went on to be selected as the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago Youth of the Year for his service as the citywide Youth Mayor of Chicago. Happy spent two summers as one of the youngest full-time City Hall employees. Happy took a leave of absence from high school to become a full-time staff writer for the Springfield Journal-Register through the Illinois Governmental Internship Program.

He then spent the last semester of his senior year of high school hosting a civic engagement Public Access television show for young people sponsored by the Mikva Challenge.

Despite living with knees plagued by the Osgood-Slaughter Disease, Happy has finished three marathons and biked the Gulf Coast from Tallahasee to New Orleans.

Happy is a 2007 International Relations and American History graduate of Georgetown University. Currently, he is developing a residency program for young adults committed to public service through
BlanketNewOrleans.Org.

Happy dedicates his advocacy for adoption and pursuit of justice to his family and late Grandmother, HenriSue.