Demetrius (DJ) Johnson, Jr. is a junior wide receiver/defensive back at University of Chicago, where he studies economics. He is the founder of BLAC, the Black Letterwinning Athlete Coalition, which started at UChicago in June.
The UAA “Conversations About Race and Racism” series seeks to lift the voices of people of color and recognize the challenges faced in both athletics and academics at the collegiate level. By sharing personal stories, we hope to elevate the conversation about race to raise awareness and bring about change.
Adjustment Being at UChicago
“The first quarter (UChicago is the only UAA institution on the quarter system) of my freshman year, I went to my first football practice and saw there were only five Black kids on the team,” Johnson reported. “I played high school football at Piscataway Township (NJ), where 90 percent of the football team was Black. It was a real culture shock.”
Conversations he heard left him with doubts as to whether he chose the right school. “At one of our fall camp practices, the freshmen were discussing their ACT scores. Two people had a 36, another scored 33, and one other guy had a 32. I am in the corner of the locker room thinking about my 28 and wondering why I was recruited,” he acknowledged. “I wondered if I was a pawn, just someone who could produce on the field. I almost transferred after my freshman year, but when I decided to stay, I made it a point to change the Black experience for others who come after me.”
Although he is a junior now and well-known on campus, he was plagued early in his time at the school by assumptions about him being a football player. “In my freshman year and part of my sophomore year, I would meet people at a party or in class and they would ask if I was on the football team,” he recalled. “Why do you ask me that before you ask me my name? Even though I am on the football team, what does that question mean? Is your perception of me based on that?”
A Different Lived Experience
While football has allowed him to meet people from all over the country, Johnson is often reminded that his experience is the not the same as others. “A lot of my teammates come from private high schools. They talk about going to Mexico, Martha’s Vineyard, and Los Angeles on spring break. I went home to New Jersey to see my family,” he explained. “I haven’t been out of the country. Going on trips together like others do is a great way to form connections and build relationships. You miss out on those opportunities where I come from.”
Another thing that separates Johnson’s experience from others is his being a part of the first Black Pan-Hellenic organization in the nation, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. “Things we do may seem unorthodox to other people, including a specific hand sign we use. After I was initiated and was wearing some Alpha apparel in the locker room, some of my teammates were mocking me with the hand sign and other things,” he recollected. “They didn’t understand the history of Black Greek organizations. Another thing we do is stroll (rhythmic dancing) in the pledge line. One time I was listening to hip hop music, doing some of my moves, and my teammates mocked what I was doing. I wasn’t mad. A lot of my teammates came from high schools where there were no Black people.”
“People are fascinated by Black culture when they are introduced to it,” he continued. “I have to educated others about Black fraternities so I send them videos and readings. There is a history to how we move and why we do certain things. They just don’t understand. Black Greek life is a part of Black history, a built appreciation of self and our history.”
Starting BLAC
“At the end of May, the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, and others sparked protests about racial injustice over the summer. I saw that WashU put out a statement as did other UAA schools. UC was posting a “senior spotlight” series on social media, which is cool, but you have to read the room,” Johnson remarked. “I asked the athletics administration how they felt about what was going on and if they were in solidarity with their Black student-athletes. They continued posting the senior spotlights.”
Johnson turned his frustration into action. “I reached out to many Black student-athletes at UC, which is not a lot. Many of us had similar feelings about the current racial protests. A lot of coaches hadn’t said anything and teammates were reaching out. We knew that these murder victims could be us,” he stated. “I reached out to alums and even former student-athletes who had quit their teams, saying I needed their help with everything going on and wanted to start a group so that we had one another to depend on through this time.”
Johnson and others drafted an open letter to the athletics administration addressing their concerns. “There was a lot going on at the time. (UChicago) President Zimmer had a brain tumor removed and (then athletic director) Erin (McDermott) accepted a position at Harvard. We wondered who to speak to and who was in charge,” he admitted. “We had specific demands in the letter, which turned out pretty well. We have been working with (interim athletic director and longtime senior woman administrator) Rosy (Resch). Our focus is to create a formal constitution to be a certified group. I didn’t want this to just be something that was hot in the summer with all the energy going and then just die down once classes and practices started. We wanted this to be a long-lasting and impactful group.”
The immediate response to the formation of the group was very positive among Black student-athletes. “They were down to join the group right away. The hardest thing for us was just to find other Black student-athletes at UC. There are not many and we weren’t close,” he said. “Once I started the group, we shared our concerns and we just clicked immediately. We could have been doing this all along and communicated with one another. It brought Black athletes a lot closer. We seek to change the Black student-athlete experience, but also the Black student experience. We want to be as involved as much as possible with first-year students and high school students looking at UC.”
Advice for Black Student-Athletes
“The main thing I realized is that you don’t have to deal with the pressure alone. I thought I was alone in dealing with racism until I learned others were dealing with the same issues and microaggressions when I started BLAC,” he recounted. “It is okay to say that you are not okay. You don’t have to bite the bullet and deal with these issues alone.”
Johnson and BLAC talk about the importance of watching out for your mental health. “Tell people how you feel or they can’t address your needs. Quietly suffering can take a toll on your mental health and ruin your college experience. You have resources, which is why I created BLAC so that other Black student-athletes know there is a support system.”
One of the things he would like to do in the future with BLAC is to sponsor a Black student-athlete night. “I want to bring in professionals in law, finance, consulting, medicine, etc. to speak to us about career paths and navigating racism in the process,” he articulated. “I would like them to talk about how being a student-athlete helped them in their careers.”
Role of Allies, Teams, and Teammates
“It starts with educating yourself on the issues. That does not mean to immediately run out and ask the nearest Black person what to do. It is not our job to educate everyone,” Johnson pointed out. “We have been trying to educate everyone for years but to no avail. There are books, movies, and songs that revolve around our history and cry for equality. Do your research to learn about what we have been going through.”
He sees great importance in how allies act and react within their closest circles. “Use your privilege to protect people when you see something wrong. Educate your family members who are ignorant to the cause,” he suggested. “How are you speaking to your friends behind closed doors when no Black people are around? Correct your friends, and watch what you and your friends are posting and supporting on social media.”
Johnson believes the value in teamwork should come into play off the field just as it does on it. “Start with sticking up for your teammates. It sounds simple. Team sports are built on the foundation of teamwork. It a teammate is hurting, support them and lift them up,” he recommended. “When the racial injustices were so public, I only had one or two teammates reach out to me. That is not a good number. I thought I had friends on the team, but I wondered, ‘Do you not care?’ Others said they didn’t know what to say. Saying something is better than not saying anything.”
The head coach plays a critical role in so many aspects of the team and Johnson encourages those who are in that position to prioritize racial education. “The head coach, particularly if they are recruiting people of color, should make it clear that diversity training happens with the whole team, but also that the coaching staff is doing its own work separately. It would be great to see coaches take more than one diversity training program a year to show they are committed to it,” he expressed. “It is nice to look up to coaches who look like you so having representation of student-athletes of color on your staff would be helpful.”