NAACP president: 'Do well for yourself, do good for your neighbors'

Top photo: A video of Martin Luther King Jr. is reflected in the glasses of Dario Hayden, a Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy student, who attended the March 18 keynote presentation by Derrick Johnson.

The president and CEO of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization told a campus audience they should not act as passive observers in today's polarized society; they should carry these two obligations: "Do well for yourself and do good for your neighbors."

Derrick Johnson, a native of Detroit, has led the NAACP for nearly a decade. He gave a keynote address in the Kirkhof Center March 19 that was rescheduled from January's Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Week events.

Johnson gave his reflections on King's legacy and recalled his participation as a member of a student NAACP chapter, when he learned he was having conversations with leaders he read about in books.

"This was in the early 1990s," Johnson said. "I was in the room in the center of gravity in all of these conversations. I needed to understand what my role would be, and I'll say the same to you: You're not a passive observer. You have an obligation to do well for yourself and to do good for your neighbors."

He reminded the audience that King had once been a passive observer and joined what was a burgeoning movement in Birmingham, Alabama. "He was an ordinary individual who did extraordinary things," Johnson said.

After his presentation, Johnson joined Robert Shorty, vice president for People, Equity, and Culture, in a conversation. 

This year marks the 40th anniversary of a partnership among GVSU, Davenport University and Grand Rapids Community College to commemorate King's life and legacy. Johnson applauded that tradition, saying it's not easy to continue that type of partnership in the current political climate.

Shorty asked Johnson for his advice on how Grand Valley continues to navigate the external pressures placed on higher education. Johnson centered his answer on what has contributed to the country's success in the past: diverse communities.

"Our success as a nation has been because of its diversity. Many different communities have contributed to that success. If you continue to focus on your mission, you will not fall prey to climate risks," he said.

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

He said there are 900 youth and student NAACP chapters, including the Grand Valley chapter.