WASHINGTON (February 5, 2019) – The 2018-2019 Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair in Public Policy Lecture Series, chaired by political strategist and author Donna Brazile, continues this week with its latest program: “Continuing Black History: Where Do We Go From Here?” The discussion features Derrick Johnson, president and chief executive of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

“Continuing Black History: Where Do We Go From Here?” takes place Thursday, February 7, on the first floor of the Interdisciplinary Research Building. The program begins at 5 p.m., with a reception immediately following. RSVP points available for attendees. All attendees must RSVP via email, to kinglectureseries@howard.edu 

The executive committee of the NAACP National Board of Directors elected Johnson president and chief executive in 2017. Johnson formerly served as vice chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors as well as state president for the Mississippi State Conference NAACP.

A veteran activist, Johnson dedicated his career to defending the rights and improving the lives of Mississippians. As State President of the NAACP Mississippi State Conference, he led critical campaigns for voting rights and equitable education. As a regional organizer at the Jackson-based non-profit, Southern Echo, Inc., Mr. Johnson provided legal, technical, and training support for communities across the South.

Born in Detroit, Johnson attended Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss. He continued to Houston where he earned a law degree from the South Texas College of Law. In later years, Johnson furthered his training through fellowships with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the George Washington University School of Political Management, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Johnson founded One Voice Inc. to improve the quality of life for African Americans through civic engagement training and initiatives. One Voice has spawned an annual Black Leadership Summit and the Mississippi Black Leadership Institute, a nine-month training program for community leaders.

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Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University,visit www.howard.edu.