William Peace University had the privilege of having Dr. Theodore R. Johnson, a public policy scholar & military veteran, give insight of being a black conservative in a white America.
Dr. Johnson was birthed and raised right here in Raleigh, North Carolina, and stated this presentation as a bit of a homecoming gift. His family was present in a filled chapel of students and faculty awaiting on his knowledgeable words.
“I found his discussion to be really informative in a positive way that did not belittle people or groups. His perspective was eye-opening for things I never thought to consider,” senior, Amber Arnold said.
The Raleigh native was here to discuss some historical topics as well as some uncomfortable ones. The crowd size made it apparent that this was a topic that many wanted to be discussed.
“When asked what he would do when encountered by a cop, Dr. Johnson replies, ‘Survive the encounter and fight for your rights tomorrow’, pretty much saying listen to the police and respect their authority. If you feel like someone was done ‘unjustifiable’, then worry about it later”, senior, Kevin Amaya explained.
He opened the presentation with historical facts about the relationship of blacks and whites within America. From there he proceeded to explain how things are the way they are, and how history has shaped some of our habits such as voting, as well as altering our perception.
In a presentation that was approximately 50 minutes, he additionally talked about “black solidarity” what it means, and what it was intended for.
“I was under the impression that we were going to the point of view of black man who voted for Trump, but instead all we received from this speaker was a history lesson,” ?A former WPU student, Nate Flemming’s said. “All he gave us was background information on why all of these policies that were made a long time ago are still coming into play now. He did not give us anything informational on his personal thoughts.
His verbal skills were in full display as he smoothly glided through the presentation with clarity and precision. His experiences on CNN, MSNBC, etc probably helped with this quality.
After the presentation was over, Dr. Johnson welcome questions. As the tough questions were asked, the crowd dispersed.