Photos by Abdi Mohamed Dr. Umar Johnson speaks to an engaged group of moderators
University of Minnesota students and several community members turned out in big numbers Thursday evening February 8 in anticipation of Dr. Umar Johnson’s appearance for an event billed as a “transformative event.” The Philadelphia-based educator, public speaker, and internet personality attended the event at Northrop, the university’s performing arts theater, at the invitation of the Black Student Union.
In a conversation moderated by the student group’s leadership, Johnson addressed roughly 600 guests on several topics, including mental health in the Black community, the education system, the political landscape, and mental health.
Over the years, Johnson has gained a large online following with several of his interviews on platforms such as the popular radio show “The Breakfast Club,” garnering millions of views. His unbending views towards interracial relationships have mainly been a source of his notoriety and contention.
Before becoming a household name, Johnson graduated from Millersville University of Pennsylvania and attended the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, receiving a Psy.D. in clinical psychology.
Toward the beginning of his remarks, Johnson implored the students in the audience to find a suitable balance in their activism and life as college students. “Make sure you don’t forget why you’re in college, and that’s to finish with high marks,” he said.
“The revolution will be waiting for you after graduation, but it’s important that you earn the grades you need and finish on time so you can join the revolution.”
The student moderators asked Johnson about his progress at the Frederick Douglass Marcus Garvey Academy. The school project, which has been years in the making, is a point of scrutiny for many critics against Johnson, who has long requested donations to construct the school. He announced to the audience that there would be a grand opening for the academy this year after completing inspections and receiving a certificate of occupancy from the state.
On mental health and education
Before his life as a public speaker and online personality, Johnson worked as a school psychologist and school administrator. Much of his commentary and opinions stem from these dual viewpoints. In 2013, Johnson released “Psycho-Academic Holocaust: The Special Education & ADHD Wars Against Black Boys,” where he argued that attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and other behavioral disorders were misdiagnosed in Black boys for economic gain.
In addressing the way in which public schools address mental health, Johnson stated that “Special education is nothing more than a scam to intentionally miseducate Black boys and create a permanent underclass by which White racism never has to compete equitably with the very Black children they intentionally miseducated.”
Johnson stated that Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adams, the newly appointed superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, would have difficulty improving the outcomes for Black children due to the influence of the local teacher’s union. “One thing you gotta understand about public education is that it exists for the comfort of the White female teacher, not the best interest of the Black male or female child,” he stated.
While he wished the superintendent luck, Johnson stated that until she has the ability to hire and fire teachers, there won’t be much progress in closing the education gap in Minneapolis.
On political parties and Black unity
Johnson referred to Minneapolis as “the police genocide capital of Black people” following the numerous high-profile police-involved shootings of Black men in the Twin Cities metro. He also addressed the disparities in employment and housing between Black and White Minnesotans, but stated that none of these issues could be addressed without first determining who in the community was truly there to help.
“If we want to save Black Minneapolis and St. Paul, the first thing you gotta do is separate the serious from the sellouts, because until you separate the serious from the sellouts, you don’t know who you’re working with,” he said.
One question written by an audience member asked Johnson about his views on the divide within the Black community, particularly between Black Americans and African immigrants. Much of Johnson’s commentary revolves around pan-Africanism, where he believes that despite the nationalism, creed, or tribal affiliations one might have, one’s African identity should be first.
“The problem that I have with the chauvinism and the biases that we display towards each other is out of ignorance because if we don’t learn to stand together, we will all perish as fools,” he said.
Johnson pointed to other races and stated that although there might be a sense of superiority between different cultures in both the White and Asian communities, they’re willing to settle their differences if there is a greater threat or goal to their race.
In answering a question about the upcoming election, Johnson furthered his call for Black unity despite personal differences. “We don’t need a party because we’re not in the majority, but we do need a union of Black votes. Then you force the candidates of all major parties to come into a room like this and have a conversation with just us,” he said.
Reception of attendees
Rana Khidir, a student at the university, shared that she attended the event because Johnson was a significant Black figure and wanted to hear from him because there weren’t many that students had the opportunity to hear from.
“He had a lot of points that I agreed with, a lot that I didn’t necessarily agree with, especially on special education, but overall I thought it was a productive conversation,” she said.
Willie Roller and Jasmine Hornbrook had heard about Johnson’s visit to Minnesota through friends and decided to purchase tickets to hear his commentary in person. Though engaged with his online content, they wanted to hear him in person.
“It’s different seeing it on YouTube and memes and hearing him go full in on a theory or a topic that he doesn’t usually go in,” Roller said. “Coming exclusively from Minnesota, where you have fragmented sets of Black people, you don’t hear these conversations a lot.”
Hornbrook shared her appreciation for Johnson’s commitment to the diaspora and enjoyed his delivery. Roller agreed, stating that the comedic tone Johnson used kept him intrigued and didn’t make it feel like he was lecturing them.
“I appreciated how he talked about mental illnesses like ADHD and explained how that has come about and kind of demystifies that,” Hornbrook said.