jeff johnson – straight-no chaser
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photo by steed media service
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Speaker, Television Personality
Jeff Johnson has quietly become one of the most respected voices of his
generation. Known as “Cousin Jeff” to many, Johnson has been able to
maintain a memorable stint on BET’s “Rap City” and has positioned
himself as a forward-thinker, unafraid of change. Equal parts activist
and cultural commentator, Johnson continues to be an instrument of
change for his people, and is passionate about improving the lives of
Black people in general, and Black men in particular.
“Black men are going through a whole lot,” he says. “Black men and
[their] problems have evolved. Some of [the problems] have been from
external sources and some of them have been from within, but, at the
end of the day, the real issue is how Black men begin to define
themselves and Black masculinity.”
Redefining Black masculinity is only one of many things that Johnson
feels the community must make a priority. “We need to play the Chess
game instead of Checkers,” he explains. “Instead of saying, ‘This is
the one thing that all Black people must do to save the black
universe,’ we have to understand that we may look, think, and act
differently, but we all want the same thing.”
Johnson feels dialogue between the generations is of the utmost importance.
“It’s imperative that young people who ‘get it’ must say to their
elders, ‘I know that you don’t like my hair or music or the way that I
talk, but I need you.’ And we need elders who ‘get it’ to say, ‘Look, I
know you don’t understand my old ways, but I love you and because I
love you, I need to talk to you.'” –todd williams
