As a tenured professor at the University of San Francisco (USF), Dr. Richard Greggory Johnson III brings to the classroom an exemplary academic, professional and personal history that has shaped his passion for public policy, social equity and human rights.
His road to a career in higher education began as a child in the Bronx.
“I grew up with a great sense of education, not only from my parents but also from my older cousins who were ahead of me in school and most of whom went to college as well. It was family dynamic,” he says.
Johnson met many of his greatest motivators in undergrad at Johnson C. Smith University. He built lifelong friendships with classmates and encountered professors who sparked his interest in public policy and inspired him to eventually become the first person in his family to receive his doctorate degree.
Most importantly, he credits the historically Black institution with providing a supportive environment that prepared him for life’s obstacles.
“I think you’re stronger when you come out of an HBCU to deal with the racism and implicit biases that are oftentimes present at a predominately White institution,” he says. “I’m so pleased that HBCUs are still doing their job by preparing young men and women to go out into the world and make a difference.”
In 1987, Johnson received his undergraduate degree in urban planning and urban studies. After taking public policy classes at JCSU, he decided to steer his academic pursuits in that direction because “without good public policy, we can’t have a civil society,” he says. “It also seems as though for years now, communities of color and other disenfranchised communities oftentimes are the only ones left out of good public governance, so we need folks with a good background in public administration to make a difference.”
