Mentor’s Profile

Biography
David W. Johnson, Jr.

I am a father, stepfather; grandfather, brother, uncle, great uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. An African American Man, living in America, whom God has blessed to see age fifty-nine and not because I grew up in a strong family environment. For ten years, I was fortunate enough to have a set of terrific, grandparents. God chose to call them home when I was ten-years old. From then on, I was more-or-less on my own. Handed off like a football from one family member to the next until I was in my early teens.

There is a humongous difference between living with a family and living with a loving family. After my grandparent’s death, my first understanding of a non-loving family came when I was forced to live with my mother, her boyfriend and four of my siblings. That lasted about three years. My mother’s boyfriend was an abuser. While my brother and three sisters were willing to look the other way, I was not, so I was handed off to my grandmother on my mother’s side. She was also and wonderful grandmother and a motivator in my life, who left this world, too soon.

The neglect, loneliness and the madness continued for years, until I was old enough to join Job Corps and then the Army. For a longtime after that, life “cut me little or no slack” and the streets raised me. I was able to survive and reach the point I am today, thanks to the love and caring of mostly strangers, along the way. I sincerely believe if I were a teenager today I would not make it to twenty-nine and surely not fifty-nine.

When I was growing up neighbors, teachers, communities, police officers, school service officers and the judicial systems were not about just doing a job but they cared about children overall. It is not just a saying that, “It Takes A Community To Raise A Child.” It is the TRUTH and it is more IMPORTANT today than it has ever been. The obstacles standing in young people’s way today is almost insurmountable. We must stop caring about what side of town, skin color, race or nationality, country, county or city and start caring that it is all children that need our help.

Oftentimes even with parents, the road to survival and success is a difficult one for young people. Surviving without parents, or dedicated parents is next to impossible but I am here to tell you, it is not impossible. I would not want any young person to live my young life, if it is at all avoidable.


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Parents, teachers, neighbors, friends, police officers and communities, what I am saying is this, if you have children do what you must to standby them and keep them on the right track. Try to see that they have a better life growing up, than you had. No matter if, your childhood was terrific. Show them love, respect and give them lots of support.

There is nothing sadder or more discouraging for a child than having parents who are nothing more than “figure heads,” or parents who only give birth.

I can attest to the fact that if parents are not good to and for you, you have the tendency not to be good for and to your children. It took me a while and many trials and tribulations before I came to understand and appreciate what it means to be a father and grandfather. Like any human being, I am still lacking in some areas but God is constantly showing me ways of improvement.

What I know for sure, unless all men, but especially African American men do not step-up and give women, especially African American women that much needed help raising our children we will be facing self-destruction akin to genocide, in the very near future.

Some may think my last statement is perhaps “overstated” but I assure you there is not a lot of “grey area” between “self-destruction” and “genocide.”

My first book, “If We Save Our Children We Save America” is about lifting spirits, changing and saving lives of today and tomorrow’s young people.


Contact Information:
David W. Johnson, Jr., Founder & President
Jacqueline M. Johnson, Vice President & Treasurer
(410) 265-0028 (H/O)
(410) 984-3086 (C)
(410) 646-5187 ext. 14 (David’s D/O)