The color of his skin also made a difference. One of Johnson’s old teachers used to walk into class pretending to be a student on the first day of class as a social experiment, so Johnson tried the same thing as a graduate instructor at UF. 

 

“The way the students looked at me when they didn't know I was their professor… Some of them said stuff that was nasty,” Johnson said. “I literally had students apologize, say ‘I'm so sorry, I didn’t know you were the professor.’” 

 

Johnson would later on become some of the students’ favorite professors, he said. But he will never forget that he had to reveal himself as a professor to get that same level of respect. 

 

Johnson also found that he could never talk about his art in the scientific community without being ridiculed, whether the delivery be subtle or outright. 

 

“One day, I was like, ‘All right, I do spoken word.’ And someone said, ‘Ha, right. You do spoken word. Another rapper,’” he said. “But if I did ballet, it would have been different. Within art, you have that stratification.” 

 

So for years, Johnson stayed quiet about his art. He didn’t tell his coworkers, or anyone else in the field that he met, about what he writes and performs outside of scientific papers and speeches. 

 

But that changed in August 2019 when Johnson became an assistant professor in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy at the University of South Florida.

 

“It's very important to me that I tell these stories”: Johnson’s return to art 

 

When Johnson decided to publish a book in 2020, he stayed very quiet about it at first, he said. 

 

Johnson’s children’s book, “Never Had A Friend,” was inspired by his own experiences as a boy. Illustrated by UF student Cassandra Urbenz, it follows a young child who faces challenges of homelessness and trauma.

 

Once released on Dec. 20, it immediately hit the No. 1 spot in the Children's Homelessness & Poverty Books category on Amazon. Johnson has been contacted by homeless organizations in Florida who want to distribute the book to homeless children. 

 

“I started to hear from parents that were saying, ‘We’ve never read a book like this. Me and my child had a real, serious conversation,’” Johnson said. “[We need to] encourage parents to have these difficult conversations with their children so we can invest in the moral development of our next generation.”  

 

Johnson was terrified to tell his colleagues at USF about the book, but to his surprise, they supported him wholeheartedly. Publishing the book is now one of the most joyful experiences he’s ever had, he said. 

 

But Johnson isn’t finished there. The book is a preview for a bigger project that Johnson is currently working on — a series of theatrical monologues that will include spoken word, rhyme, poetry, music and dance or other body movements. 

 

The performance, which is also called “Never Had A Friend,” will explore themes of trauma, homelessness, anti-racism, resilience and friendship, Johnson said. 

 

Once finished, Johnson wants to tour the performance at theatres, universities, churches and other venues. He had hoped to start this summer, but is unsure if that will be possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

But no matter when it happens, Johnson is enthusiastic about spreading his message. 

 

“It's very important to me that I tell these stories in a way that I know people will digest,” he said. “Art is that great communicator, and it goes straight to the heart, pierces the soul.” 

 

These days, Johnson’s old art awards don’t sit in a dusty box in the garage anymore. They’re hung up on the wall next to his desk, right beside his scientific awards. 

 

“I'm not sure if the coast is clear. I'm not sure if it's safe,” he said. “[But] it's really important that we tell some of these stories about people — the tragedies, but also the triumphs.”