Derrick Johnson

Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, will kick off GVSU's week of events commemorating the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Johnson's presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20, at 10 a.m. in the Kirkhof Center. This event is free and open to the public. It will be livestreamed.

A native of Detroit, Johnson has served as NAACP president since 2017. Prior to that, he was the vice chair of the NAACP National Board of Directors and state president for the Mississippi State Conference NAACP. A longstanding leader of the NAACP, Johnson has helped guide the organization through a period of re-envisioning and reinvigoration. 

Johnson attended Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, and earned a juris doctorate from the South Texas College of Law in Houston.

Johnson has furthered his training through fellowships with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, George Washington University School of Political Management and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

He has served as an annual guest lecturer at Harvard Law School and as an adjunct professor at Tougaloo College.

Dar Mayweather, '07 and '09

Two-time GVSU graduate Dar Mayweather, ’07 and ’09, is a leadership studies faculty member at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. In that role, Mayweather empowers college students to identify their unique talents and articulate those strengths to industry leaders, ensuring they secure jobs or graduate school placements before graduation. 

His coaching has led to a 100% success rate in helping students achieve these milestones. Mayweather believes that his story and work can inspire struggling students and professionals worldwide to discover their gifts and find their purpose. 

Mayweather will give a presentation on January 21 at 4:30 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center. This event is free and open to the public. It will also be livestreamed. His presentation will follow a silent march on the Valley Campus, which will begin at 4 p.m. with participants assembling at Zumberge Hall.

In 2016, Mayweather founded Good Mayweather Consulting LLC and the #doingthegoodwork brand to channel his passion for speaking and curriculum development. As a first-generation college student, Mayweather knows the challenges of navigating higher education without a roadmap and overcoming obstacles with the guidance of mentors and a supportive community. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in education from GVSU, followed by a doctorate in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University.