Alexis McGill Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexis McGill Johnson
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Alexis McGill Johnson in 2020
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| Born | August 5, 1972 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse | Robert Johnson |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) Yale University (MA) |
Alexis McGill Johnson is an American academic and social justice advocate. She is the executive director and co-founder of the Perception Institute, an anti-bias research group.
Early life and education
McGill Johnson was born in New York City in 1972 and raised by her mother and father. Her mother worked her way up from a secretary to an executive-level position at AT&T. McGill Johnson's childhood was strongly influenced by her parents' pride in black culture.
In 1993, she graduated from Princeton University with a bachelor's degree in political science and a focus in Latin-American social movements. She went on to receive a Master of Arts from Yale University in 1995, also in political science.
Career
McGill Johnson taught political science and African-American studies at both Yale and Wesleyan University. She served as political director for Russell Simmons' "Hip-Hop Summit Action Network", and was the executive director of Citizen Change during the 2004 election season, launching their "Vote or Die!" campaign.
In 2009, she co-founded the Perception Institute (formerly known as the American Values Institute), a research group studying bias reduction and discrimination, and was their executive director. She co-created the curriculum for Starbucks' racial bias training in May 2018.
McGill Johnson has also served on the boards of New York Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Social Inclusion, and Citizen Engagement Lab.
Personal life
She lives in New York City. She is married to Robert Johnson, who is the president of the Institute for New Economic Thinking. They have two daughters.
