Through his work as Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, Johns team host African American Education Summits on college campuses throughout the country. The summits provide youth, often high school and college students (of all types) with an opportunity to talk directly to caring and concerned adults—to speak in front of a White House seal and make recommendations for the things that need to happen so students feel safe, engaged and supported—in school and in life. “Boxes and socially constructed categories like gender are limiting and dangerous,” says Johns. “We must acknowledge the broader diversity in and of the African American experience. The diversity among the student participants is a reminder that in there are many types of African American students. Our students continue to pursue educational excellence despite many unnecessary obstacles they face due to perceptions of race, class, gender, and sexual orientations.”
Among the things that Johns loves most about America is the diversity through which we have come to understand that in spite of the many different languages we speak, countries we call home, ways we honor and acknowledge a higher power or otherwise we are all united in our common humanity.
Honored, Johns says “Being a BE Modern Man means I join a community of other like-minded brothers of color who understand that to whom much is given much is expected and required. I am honored to be included in such a community and will continue to use opportunities such as this to highlight the importance of teaching the babies.”
Committed to volunteer services and maintaining an active commitment to improve literacy among adolescent minority males, The BE Modern Man team congratulates David Johns on all of his successes and appointment to lead the improvement of African-American student achievement.
It’s our normal to be extraordinary. Follow @blackenterprise and join the BE Modern Man conversation using #BEModernMan.