Toni Johnson Center for Racial and Social Justice

Mission of the Toni Johnson Center

The mission of the Toni Johnson Center is to promote racial and social justice scholarship.

We aim to:

1. Advance anti-racist and anti-colonial scholarship in our school and the larger community.
2. Uplift and develop TJC affiliates as scholars.
3. Mentor students’ anti-racist and anti-colonial scholarship.
4. Learn with and from community members and agencies that do racial justice work.

About the Center

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare dedicates theToni Johnson Center for Racial and Social Justice to Dr. Toni Johnson, our beloved colleague, friend, and professor. Dr. Johnson was a member of the KUSSW faculty from 2005-2016.

Dr. Johnson committed her life to social, racial and economic justice for youth and their families. As a practitioner, researcher, and professor, Dr. Johnson aspired to be a social change agent to increase the inclusion and equity of all people, with a particular focus on African American families.

She was dedicated to supporting students in and out of the classroom, including her role as the director for the Multicultural Scholars Program. She received the Gene A. and Gretchen Budig Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012. The center represents the school's commitment to forward Dr. Johnson’s life work by promoting student involvement and engaged scholarship in the areas of race and social justice.