Johnson is a former National President of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and is the President and CEO of the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. Johnson received his Bachelor of Arts from Xavier University of Louisiana in May 1986 and completed Post Baccalaureate work in Public Administration at St. Louis University from 1981 to 1982.

He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence in May 1986 from Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law,[2] where he was a member of the Thurgood Marshall Student Bar Association, Senior Class President, and Phi Alpha Delta President.

Johnson was the President and CEO, from its 2002 establishment, of the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.

The President of the United States and the U.S. Congress charged the foundation with erecting a memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Johnson has received a number of recognitions for his community involvement and public service, including: Johnson has dedicated his time to many community groups and issues, including voter registration, blood donations, birth defects and teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, the National Marrow Donor Program, and the National Blood Drive, Boy Scouts of America and Big Brothers of America.