Founder & CEO
Glynis M. Johns, M.A is the founder of Black Scranton Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, local heritage initiative, and public history venture. BSP is dedicated to archiving and celebrating the Black history of Scranton and NEPA.
Glynis has created a defined presence for the Black community in Lackawanna County - having worked with senators, state representatives, county officials, and community leaders on significant projects across the commonwealth. Last spring, Glynis was inducted to serve on Governor Tom Wolf's Advisory Commission on African American Affairs. Her role is to represent NEPA and help expand and enhance the civic, social, educational, cultural, and economic status of the Black Community. Her past projects include a TEDxScranton 2020 Talk, “Why Local Black History Matters.” She joined the Scranton Public Library Board of Trustees in 2020.
In February 2021, Glynis received a distinguished honor from Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) as a notable Black Leader in Pennsylvania and leading activist in the pursuit of racial justice. Which now archived in the Congressional Record (Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 34; Tuesday, February 23, 2021)
Because Glynis believes in the cultural importance of art, Glynis is a member of the Lackawanna County Council on Art, Culture, and Education (ACE). she spends much of her time studying 19th and 20th century African American history. She is a native Scrantonian, local historian, sociologist, artist, documentarian, and advocate; Glynis invests time researching Scranton to piece together narratives of the Black community. She is proud to shift local perspectives on culture, inclusion, representation, and history. For Glynis, passions and projects are indistinguishable from each other.
In 2018, Glynis created a Black-Owned Business Directory for the Northeastern Pennsylvania region as part of her latest passion, the Black Scranton Project. The directory took off last year, and this venture led to her acquisition of a historic bank building in Scranton, PA. Now, she and the BSP team are working to revive and repurpose the North Scranton landmark into the Black Scranton Project Center for Arts & Culture (BSPCAC), an educational and recreational resource for all Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Glynis earned a BA and MA in Sociology from St. John’s University. She has taught various undergraduate courses like race and ethnicity, photography, and critical race theory at several universities. Here in Scranton, she carries the distinct privilege of “favorite substitute teacher” title bestowed upon her by many students of the Scranton School District.
The historical work Glynis has been able to uncover as the past 3 years has continues to ripple across the state and beyond. In 2019, she recorded a special with Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) - The African American Experience where she discussed the hidden history of Scranton’s Black Community.