Animated by HP Black
Music by Sigmund Washington
Leo Johnson spent eight years in refugee camps after fleeing war-torn Liberia in 1998. He arrived in Canada in 2006. Leo was a semi-finalist in CBC’s Next Great Prime Minister Competition. He’s also received the YMCA Peace Medal and the World Citizenship Award from the City of Hamilton. His current project is the Liberian Learning Center, a state-of-the-art multipurpose facility which will house the country’s first public library since 1989. He’s also developing a community innovation center. Leo is the founder of Empowerment Squared, an organization which serves thousands of newcomer youth and families.
Soft Landing is a project curated by Ian Keteku which showcases the words and stories of prominent living Canadians who’ve immigrated from another country. These individuals have contributed to Canadian society in meaningful ways. They’ve excelled in areas of entrepreneurship, environmentalism, science, and community activism.
The project is funded by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21