Selah Johnson
Dr. Selah Johnson is an advocate for breast cancer patients and survivors. She was motivated to be more involved in the fight after her mother survived two bouts of breast cancer in less than 10 years. She is currently a history teacher at Saint Ann’s school in Brooklyn Heights; she teaches both middle and upper school. Over the years, her classes have ranged from 4th-12th grades. She’s taught courses including U.S. History, World History, and course creations like “Still I Rise:” Black Political Activism in the 20th-21st centuries. “Freedom Dreams: “African Diasporic Political Thought in the 20th century. She has worked many summers as a history instructor for programs including N.J. SEEDS, and the TEAK Fellowship program.
She received her B.A. in History from Spelman College in 2010. She graduated Magna Cum Laude, and as a member of the esteemed Phi Beta Kappa society. In 2015, she graduated with a Ph.D. in United States History from UCLA. Her dissertation, “Free D.C:” The Struggle for Civil, Political, and Human Rights in Washington, D.C., 1965-1979, focused on the local movement for civil rights in Washington, D.C. Her research illuminated one of the most incredible political shortcomings in 20th century America, which was the failure to provide full political enfranchisement for the citizens of Washington, D.C. – the first major American city with a majority African-American population. She continues to do research on various social movements from the past like the Black Freedom Movement of the 1960s, and current-day movements like Black Lives Matter.
