Umar Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Umar Johnson
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Johnson in 2016
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Jermaine Shoemake
August 21, 1974 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Education | Millersville University of Pennsylvania (BA) Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PsyD) |
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Umar Rashad Ibn Abdullah-Johnson (born Jermaine Shoemake; August 21, 1974), often called Dr. Umar, is an American psychologist and motivational speaker. He is also known as a Black activist who speaks about issues important to the Black community.
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Growing Up and Education
Umar Johnson was born in North Philadelphia. His stepmother, Bernice Elizabeth Dockins Abdullah-Johnson, worked as a preschool teacher.
He went to Millersville University and later earned a special degree called a Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) in 2012. This degree is in clinical psychology, which means he studied how to help people with their thoughts and feelings. He got this degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Umar's Work
Sharing Ideas Through Books and Films
In 2011, Dr. Umar was part of a documentary film called The Untold History of People of Aboriginal, Moor, and African Descent. This film was directed by Tariq Nasheed.
Later, in 2013, Dr. Umar wrote a book. In his book, he talked about how he believed that ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) was often wrongly diagnosed in Black children. He also suggested that the American education system might use ADHD diagnoses to unfairly label Black children.
Plans for a New School
Dr. Umar has been working on a plan to open a special school for Black boys. In 2014, he announced he wanted to raise money to buy a former college campus in Lawrenceville, Virginia. He planned to name this new school the Frederick Douglass Marcus Garvey Academy. It would be a boarding school, meaning students would live there.
Although he said he had enough money to buy the campus in 2014, he did not buy it. The property was later bought by someone else. In 2015, Dr. Umar said the school would open the next year, but it did not.
In April 2017, he started a group called the National Independent Black Parent Association in Leimert Park, Los Angeles. More recently, in March 2023, Dr. Umar shared that he still plans to open the school. He hopes it will be ready for students by the 2024–2025 school year.
