Social activist and political commentator Jeff Johnson to speak at UF today

April 9, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla., — Within the last decade, Jeff Johnson has devoted his time to merging politics and popular culture. He has formerly served as senior advisor for Media and Youth Outreach for People for the American Way, a national director of the Youth and College division of the NAACP, and as vice president of the Russell Simmons Hip Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN).

Johnson will be speaking on April 9 about his many accomplishments, as well as on his analysis of issues related to race, politics, popular culture and socio-economics. The show, cosponsored with the Black Student Union, will take place in the Reitz Grand Ballroom. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the event will start at 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Based out of Washington D.C., Johnson has established himself as an authentic voice for change and as a social entrepreneur. When he is not doing Black Entertainment Television (BET) specials or weekly commentaries on the nationally syndicated “Tom Joyner Morning Show,” he is conversing with world figures in politics, business and entertainment. Johnson is the only U.S. reporter to receive an exclusive post-inauguration interview with
Ellen Johnson-Sirlef, the first female elected as Africa’s head of state and Liberia’s first elected female president. In addition, Johnson is one of only two news correspondents to receive an exclusive interview with Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, who has not allowed interviews with U.S. media for13 years.

His most recent success has been his in-depth investigative journey to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In 2008, Johnson received the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Salute to Excellence Award for BET’s “Life & Death in Darfur, Jeff Johnson Reports” series. Johnson is one of 30 young leaders from Europe and North American selected by the British Council to be a part of its Transatlantic 2020 team. Johnson has released his first book “Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am: Discovering Your Personal Best.” Jeff Johnson has successfully brought popular culture and the worlds of politics together to bring insight and knowledge to the nation.

For more information, call ACCENT at 352-273-4429. Visit our Web site at www.accentspeakers.com or e-mail ACCENT at accent@sg.ufl.edu.

Contact
Jason H. Attermann, accent@sg.ufl.edu, 352-273-4429