Derrick Johnson has spent his career at the intersection of law, activism and civic leadership. As the 19th president and CEO of the NAACP, a role he has held since October 2017, he leads one of the oldest and most consequential civil rights organizations in American history. In a conversation with Rolling Out’s Munson Steed on A Seat at the Table, Johnson spoke with measured urgency about what the moment demands and what the community must do to meet it.
What are the three priorities you want the Black community to know right now?
We are in a crisis as a result of the 2024 election, and there is no way out but through the upcoming November election. Priority one is engaging as many people as possible to get out to the polls.
Priority two is backing away from social media platforms because they are full of misinformation and disinformation. We cannot afford to carry bad information about this election cycle. A great example is the us versus us paradigm, Black men voting versus Black women. We don’t have any time for that conversation, and it was started by Russian bots.
Thirdly, we have to embrace one another. We just came out of the Image Awards with a theme of we see you, meaning I appreciate your contribution, I appreciate your essence. November’s election, be careful with social media, and embrace ourselves as a community, because we are stronger together.
Why is it important for us to read the history of those who came before us and to join the NAACP?
Critical thinking skills are perhaps one of the most important things God blessed us with. Reading and legal training allow us to figure out how to build what others used to call a beloved community, how to ensure a social safety net, and how to protect those most vulnerable. You can’t do that by being loud or demonstrating. You have to think critically about what is in front of us and how we navigate those things to be successful.
How can we educate ourselves and our community to battle disinformation about voting?
Reading, and also creating learning circles. Much of what we think and do is based on our peer group, and if we are not building peer groups that push us intellectually and push us to be more active and caring about our communities, we are in the wrong group. Each individual should be positioned to push their neighbor or peer as their neighbor and peer are pushing them. We have to recognize that we are in a war, and this war did not start because of this administration. It started from the first time we hit these shores, and we have to recognize that war for what it is and navigate accordingly.
What would you tell students at HBCUs about how to prepare themselves?
As a graduate of an HBCU, that was the most enriching time of my life. I could be on campus without defending my identity based on race and could explore intellectually. I recall when a group of us would sit under the library late at night and debate. Black nationalism versus Pan-Africanism, Christianity versus Nation of Islam versus Orthodox Muslim versus Black Israelite. We would discuss Langston Hughes and James Baldwin. We had intellectual fights, and not wanting to lose the argument forced us to explore and stretch. That is the beautiful thing about being on an HBCU campus. It gives you the physical, academic and intellectual freedom to do things you may not otherwise be able to do.
What thought leaders should we be studying to combat the fascism we are seeing right now?
I don’t think it is one particular thought leader. People should get in based on their interest. If you are a Pan-Africanist, study Frantz Fanon, Kwame Nkrumah and W.E.B. Du Bois. If you are a Black nationalist, study Molefi Asante or A.C. Hilliard. If you love literature, Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes and Claude McKay had profound writing. If you are a feminist, learn about Ida B. Wells and how she propelled the women’s movement. You get in where you fit in. All of it leads to the same place. Our job is to fight for not only equal protection under the law but self-determination. That is what this fight is all about.
What is self-determination, and what is really being suppressed?
Self-determination is the individual and community’s ability to self-determine how they will live, the quality of life, the governance structure, the ability to be free and free of any oppressive forces seeking to suppress our interests or exploit us for free and cheap labor.
How should we take the moment of Reverend Jesse Jackson’s transition?
Reverend Jackson was a leader. Not a civil rights leader or a Black leader, he was a leader. You can measure his impact over decades, not one march or one speech. He registered more people to vote in the 1980s than anyone else, including institutions. He created more Black millionaires than anyone can count, through advocacy with the auto industry, McDonald’s franchise ownership and campaigns to create Black wealth. He negotiated the freedom of hostages around the globe, supported Nelson Mandela and the Free South Africa movement, and advocated for white farmers too.
He understood that we are in a system seeking to exploit all of us, and if we align our interests across communities we can build a quilt of support. The same forces suppressing a woman’s right to choose, Black folks’ right to vote and white farmers’ land are the same forces. He was an American leader. Our movement is multi-dimensional, and if we can put those pieces together, we can be more effective.
If you were giving a speech at Howard, Morehouse or FAMU, what would the title be and what would your three requirements be for the next generation?
The title should be Understanding leadership in your role in that process. Step one, egocentric leadership kills us every time. We need to step away from the charismatic, best-speaker, central-figure model. Step two, community-centric leadership is what makes us stronger. All of our movements are strongest when intergenerational and multi-gender. What we bring individually is our uniqueness, and that is our strength. Thirdly, the destination should be measured over time, not the transaction of one campaign or one election, but how we need to position our community for decades to come, if not centuries to come.
How can people best participate in and support the NAACP right now?
The NAACP is the people’s organization. We are driven by the people who show up and participate on the local level, building up toward the state and then the national association. It really is local communities defining what is in their best interest. In some areas the advocacy is around environmental justice. In others it is education or criminal justice because of police violence or unfair treatment.
We should never concede our leadership to a title. We should always use the title to push our collective leadership. That is what community-centric leadership is all about. If this is the vehicle for your voice, use it. But whatever you do, use your voice and your energy to empower our community and our people.