Twin Baton Rouge Judges Reflect on Integrating Middle School as Teens

Judges Donald and Ronald Johnson helped integrate Westdale Middle School in 1968, an experience that shaped their commitment to fairness on the bench.

Feb. 26, 2026 at 1:15pm

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Twin brothers Donald and Ronald Johnson were 14 years old in 1968 when they helped integrate Westdale Middle School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Today, they serve as judges in the 19th Judicial District courthouse, with Donald as the chief judge. The brothers say their integration experience, which involved facing rejection, isolation, and racial hostility, taught them self-control and restraint, and influences their work as judges to ensure fair treatment for all.

Why it matters

The Johnson brothers' story highlights the lasting impact of school integration efforts in the civil rights era, and how those experiences can shape a lifelong commitment to justice and fairness. Their journey also reflects the progress and challenges that continue to shape Baton Rouge's schools and communities.

The details

When the Johnson brothers joined other Black students in integrating Westdale Middle School in 1968, they faced a range of challenges, including rejection, isolation, and racial hostility from other students. However, the experience taught them valuable lessons about self-control, restraint, and the importance of excelling academically to prove their worth. Today, the brothers say these formative experiences influence their work as judges, where they strive to ensure fair treatment for all.

  • In 1968, the Johnson brothers helped integrate Westdale Middle School in Baton Rouge at the age of 14.
  • The Johnson brothers later graduated from Baton Rouge High School, which desegregated in 1963.
  • Today, Donald Johnson serves as the chief judge in the 19th Judicial District courthouse, while his twin brother Ronald also serves as a judge in the same courthouse.

The players

Donald Johnson

Chief judge in the 19th Judicial District courthouse in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who helped integrate Westdale Middle School as a teenager.

Ronald Johnson

Judge in the 19th Judicial District courthouse in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who helped integrate Westdale Middle School as a teenager alongside his twin brother, Donald.

Ramona Henderson

The first Black principal of Westdale Middle School, which is now predominantly Black and serves students from diverse racial and linguistic backgrounds.

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What they’re saying

“There was a perception that something better was there, something that I was not was there, and I could be that.”

— Judge Donald Johnson

“We were always on the outside looking in so to speak and we wondered what that world was like.”

— Judge Ronald Johnson

“Now came rejection, now came isolation, now came eyes looking at you. People not speaking to you.”

— Judge Ronald Johnson

“We felt that we had to prove to others that we were no different and one way of proving that was to excel at trying to be good, educated students. Not only that… we had to wear masks.”

— Judge Donald Johnson

“The experiences of having been unfairly treated culturally, legally and all that historical context… brings me forward today to make certain that this court treats everyone fair.”

— Judge Donald Johnson, Chief Judge

What’s next

The Johnson brothers continue to serve as judges in the 19th Judicial District courthouse, where they strive to uphold the principles of fairness and justice that were shaped by their experiences integrating Westdale Middle School as teenagers.

The takeaway

The Johnson brothers' story demonstrates how personal experiences of overcoming adversity and discrimination can inspire a lifelong commitment to fairness and equality, even in positions of significant authority and influence. Their journey serves as a powerful example of how the legacy of the civil rights movement continues to shape the lives and work of those who lived through it.