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About
Meet Dr. Micah E. Johnson, an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine. He specializes in trauma, behavioral health, and community-driven research. He is an award-winning scientist and activist who has trained over 20,000 individuals worldwide on topics related to trauma, mental health, social justice, and peacebuilding. Dr. Johnson has authored 30 scientific articles and multiple books. He was awarded five million dollars in research grants from the National Institutes of Health to study community mental health. His work has been cited by the New York Times, ESPN, and others. He is the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Research Achievement Award at the University of South Florida and the 2023 Community Peacebuilder of the Year Award from the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding. Dr. Johnson’s research and advocacy have helped reduce decades of prison sentences and overturn death penalties for individuals with mental health needs in over 100 capital and felony cases nationwide.
Background
Dr. Johnson was born in Eatonville, Florida, the first all-Black city in the United States and the historic hometown of Zora Neale Hurston. He faced significant hardships during his childhood that shaped his resilience and determination, including homelessness, gun violence, and parental incarceration. These early experiences fostered a deep passion for service and social justice. He became a community activist at the age of 14, working with the Truth campaign to address harms caused by big tobacco companies.
Dr. Johnson also developed a passion for film, music, poetry, drama, and education. Inspired by his teachers, he eventually served as a public school teacher for several years. Art, education, and service continued to be a profound source of inspiration and healing throughout his life.
Dr. Johnson studied sociology to better understand the intersections of society, trauma, health, and life trajectories. Today, Dr. Micah Johnson is a renowned scholar, activist, and storyteller, and these endeavors are seamlessly integrated and interconnected in his work. He primarily focuses on behavioral health, with an emphasis on addiction, violence, and criminal justice. In 2025, Dr. Johnson created On Sight, which combines science, activism, and storytelling to eradicate violence and cultivate grace and understanding for perpetrators.
Purpose
“My purpose, intention, moral positions, and perspectives are rooted in community and compassion. Despite my personal struggles, I have a profound connection to, love for, and faith in humanity. My mission is to serve those in need—children, underserved families, disadvantaged communities, and anyone who is suffering. We must work to achieve elevation, prosperity, and edification for those who need us the most. From Black and Brown youth in urban ghettos to poor White youth growing up on lime rock roads in rural areas, many youth are quietly struggling. How do we open our eyes and focus without overlooking others? How do we passionately fight for justice while maintaining grace, understanding, patience, respect, and joy?” -Dr. Johnson
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support
There are four ways you can support this work: volunteer your time or services, donate money, hire Dr. Johnson for a presentation, and support him on social media. We will not save the entire world, but we will do good and feel great doing it.
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