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Glynis M. Johns is the founder of , a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, local heritage initiative, and public history venture. Johns has created a defined presence for the Black community in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. She serves on PA Governor Josh Shapiro’s Advisory Commission for African American Affairs. Her past projects include a TEDxScranton 2020 Talk, “Why Local Black History Matters.”

In February 2021, Johns received a distinguished honor from Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) as a notable Black Leader in Pennsylvania and a leading activist in pursuing racial justice.

Johns’s unwavering commitment to history, culture, and community led her to acquire a historic bank building. Now, she and the Black Scranton Project 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.

She is a native Scrantonian, local historian, sociologist, artist, documentarian, and advocate. She is proud to shift local perspectives on culture, inclusion, representation, and history. For Johns, passions and projects are indistinguishable from each other.

Johns holds a BA and MA in Sociology from St. John’s University.