Nearly 500 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) students will begin a new chapter in their lives as they walk the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center stage on Aug. 5 to receive their diplomas.
The summer commencement ceremony, which begins at 4 p.m., on Friday, will be keynoted by David J. Johns, the executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, an arm of the U.S. Department of Education. Johns will provide words of inspiration and encouragement to graduates as they prepare for impact in careers ranging from psychology and pharmacy to business administration and biological and agricultural systems engineering.
“Commencement is always a special time at Florida A&M University,” said President Elmira Mangum, Ph.D. “It represents the moment when our students begin to draw upon all that they have learned and experienced and catapult that into a career and life that will transform their families, communities, and the world.”
Mangum added, “We are especially excited that our graduates will have the opportunity to hear from David Johns, a great advocate for higher education, who has been entrusted by the White House and U.S. Department of Education to help inspire change and empower African Americans in academia and society.”
As executive director, Johns works to identify evidence-based best practices to improve African-American student achievement—from cradle to career. Under his leadership, the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans works across federal agencies and with partners and communities nationwide to produce a more effective continuum of education programs for African-American students.
Johns has worked on issues affecting low-income and minority students, neglected youth and early childhood education, and with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). His research as an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow served as a catalyst to identify, disrupt and supplant negative perceptions of Black males within academia and society. Johns is committed to volunteer services and maintains an active commitment to improving literacy among adolescent minority males.
Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Education, Johns was a senior education policy advisor to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) under the leadership of Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. Before working for the Senate HELP Committee under Chairman Harkin, Johns served under the leadership of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass. He also served as a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Fellow in the Office of Congressman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.
He obtained a master’s degree in sociology and education policy at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he graduated summa cum laude while simultaneously teaching elementary school in New York City. He graduated with honors from Columbia University in 2004 with a triple major in English, creative writing, and African-American studies.
Johns was named on the Root100 list in both 2014 and 2013, honored on EBONY’s Power 100 list in 2015, and received an early career award from Columbia University in 2016.