Amena Johnson

Speaking

Training in action for linked in
Educator · Equity Strategist · Speaker

Dr. Amena
Johnson

Montgomery County’s First LGBTQ+ Liaison · Georgetown Faculty · Appomattox, Virginia
Where Story
Meets Strategy
“I didn’t have the words for it at five. But I understood that my rights were fragile — and that I would have to defend them.”

Dr. Johnson has spent over twenty years making institutions work for the people they were never designed to include — in government, universities, nonprofits, and communities across the country.

Book Dr. Johnson →
20+
Years in the work
1,700+
People trained
6
Signature talks
01
Expose Truth
02
Cultivate Joy
03
Champion Visibility
About

The story
behind the work

“Genealogy isn’t just about finding names on a census. It’s about making sure no one disappears again.”
Based in
Fort Washington, Maryland
Rooted in
Appomattox, Virginia — since 1796
Education
Ed.D. Higher Education Leadership
M.S. Organizational Leadership
B.F.A. Drama Therapy

She grew up in Appomattox, Virginia — the same ground where the Civil War ended, and where her family has lived since at least 1776. Her earliest lesson in leadership came not from a classroom but from a retired coal miner grandfather who drove elderly Black residents to the polls on Election Day.

Over more than two decades, Dr. Johnson has worked with young people facing homelessness and immigration challenges, LGBTQ+ seniors going back into the closet in care facilities, transgender families navigating a hostile political climate, and institutions resistant to change. She has trained over 1,700 educators, social service providers, and youth on diversity, inclusion, and systemic change.

She has served as Montgomery County Government’s first LGBTQ Liaison, Executive Director of Hope in a Box, Associate Director at Georgetown University’s LGBTQ Resource Center, and Director of Programs at SMYAL. She began her career with AmeriCorps Public Allies and went on to work with GLSEN and the National Conference for Community and Justice.

Her B.F.A. in Drama Therapy taught her to hold a room. Her Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership gave her the frameworks to change systems from the inside. Her life taught her that joy is resistance.

Congressman Jamie Raskin recognized her as a Local Hero. Her courses at Georgetown and George Mason became core curriculum requirements. Her community survey became a brick-and-mortar LGBTQ+ center.

Her talks don’t just inform. They move people — and then they equip them to move institutions.

Why Book Dr. Johnson

Three things no other
speaker brings

01
A named historical place
Appomattox, Virginia is where the Civil War ended. It is also where her family has lived since 1796, descended from enslaved people whose freedom was declared on April 9th, 1865. No other speaker carries this specific story. It is not a backdrop — it is the argument.
02
230 years of proof
She has traced her ancestry to Daniel Johnson, born into enslavement in 1796. Her great-grandmother owned nearly 500 acres in Virginia. She grew up in that same household, caring for her great-grandmother through seven years of dementia. The arc from enslavement to a doctorate is not a metaphor. It is her family tree.
03
A Drama Therapy degree that shows
Her B.F.A. in Drama Therapy is not a footnote. It is the reason her talks feel different from every other equity speaker. She creates emotional safety before she makes intellectual arguments. Audiences feel it before they can name it. That is a trained skill — and it is hers.
Signature Talks

Six talks.
One unwavering belief.

All talks are available as keynotes, workshops, or half-day sessions and can be customized for your audience and goals.

01
Anchor Keynote
“It Started at Age Five”: The Origin of a Justice Leader
From a car ride in Appomattox, Virginia to the halls of government — tracing how one child’s understanding of fragile rights became a framework for institutional change.
Audiences leave with a personal leadership framework rooted in identity, history, and the understanding that justice requires action — not just awareness.
University convocations · Civic leadership · Government retreats · Diversity summits
02
Premium Keynote
“Appomattox: What Freedom Looks Like When the Work Isn’t Finished”
A keynote tracing 230 years of one family’s story — from Daniel Johnson, born into enslavement in 1796, to a doctor standing in government asking whether America has kept its promise.
Audiences leave understanding April 9th as Freedom Day and why the proximity to history is a responsibility, not just a story.
Juneteenth events · April 9th Freedom Day · History conferences · Government agencies
03
LGBTQ+ Keynote
“Expose Truth, Cultivate Joy, Champion Visibility”
Joy is not self-care. Joy is the most powerful weapon we have. All of the executive orders, bills, and laws targeting our community are attempts to steal our joy. This talk gives audiences the framework to fight back without losing themselves in the fight.
Pride Month · Trans Day of Visibility · Lavender Graduation · ERGs
04
Intersectionality
“This Is Not an Overcame Story”
Intersectionality is not a buzzword. It is a survival strategy and a leadership tool. This talk reframes the tired “I beat the odds” narrative and offers a more honest framework for understanding how identity shapes institutional experience.
Government retreats · Nonprofit conferences · Corporate DEI · Higher education
05
Black & LGBTQ+ History
“Freedom Has Always Been Queer”
From Bayard Rustin to Marsha P. Johnson to Black Lives Matter — the untold intersections of Black and LGBTQ+ liberation, told by someone descended from the ground where American freedom was first declared.
Juneteenth & Pride Month · HBCUs · African American studies · Social justice convenings
06
Practitioner Workshop
“Systems Didn’t Build Themselves”
A practitioner’s guide for organizations ready to move past awareness — auditing, naming, and changing the systems that create inequity, with real tools drawn from twenty years of frontline institutional work.
Government agencies · HR leaders · University departments · Social service organizations
Credentials

The receipts

Roles & Organizations
Montgomery County Government — First LGBTQ+ Liaison
Georgetown University — Associate Director, LGBTQ Resource Center & Adjunct Faculty
Hope in a Box — Executive Director
George Mason University — Program Coordinator, Assistant & Interim Director
SMYAL — Director of Programs, Washington DC
Prince George’s County DSS — AFFIRM Supervisor
GLSEN & AmeriCorps Public Allies — Early career
Appomattox For Equality — VP, Board of Directors
Select Clients & Engagements
Federal Aviation Administration — DEI training keynote
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts — Pride Month keynote
Federal Management Partners — DEI training for federal agencies
Montgomery County Public Schools — Pride Town Hall keynote
Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area — Panel speaker
Signature Theatre — Cultural Consultant, Ragtime
Georgetown Lavender Graduation — Keynote speaker, 2022 & 2023
Congressman Jamie Raskin — Recognized as Local Hero
What They Say

In their own words

“
A bridge builder, a listener, a change maker.
Montgomery County Government — Pride Month 2025
“
You gave the best definition of intersectionality I have ever heard.
Audience member, MoCo Pride panel
“
Recognized as a Local Hero for her work making Montgomery County a welcoming place for all.
Congressman Jamie Raskin
Book Dr. Johnson

Ready to bring this work to your audience?

Dr. Johnson responds to all inquiries personally. Please include your event date, audience size, format, and topic of interest.

amenadjohnson@gmail.com
302-379-9564
Send an Inquiry →
Available Formats
Keynote — 45 to 90 minutes, any audience size
Workshop — 90 minutes to half-day, interactive
Panel Moderation — forums, town halls, convenings
Facilitation — DEI sessions, training-of-trainers
Media Appearances — podcast, press, broadcast
Consulting — policy review, curriculum, equity audits
Dr. Amena Johnson — amenadjohnson.com
Where Story Meets Strategy