Dr. Hart-Johnson has been featured on a radio commercial, with the theme song, "This little light of mine...," produced through Walden University. Dr. Hart-Johnson is a Walden alumnus. She has actively engaged in social change projects both during and after completing her PhD studies. In 2018 she received the high honor of being recognized as the Walden Outstanding Alumni award winner. During 2019, she gave the Walden University Doctoral Commencement Address before a crowd of 7000 attendees at the Tampa, FL Convention Center. This event was simulcasted as a live broadcast around the world.
Background
Dr. Hart-Johnson earned her Ph.D. in Human Services. Her dissertation research focused on “African American Women with Incarcerated Mates.” Her dissertation was then transformed into a guide for helping professionals. The study was conducted in the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas. Her research on this vulnerable population subsequently led her to co-found the nonprofit organization, DC Project Connect, and engaged in numerous social justice initiatives, including research on family-focused jails and prison visits, and bibliotherapy to assist caregivers who parent children with incarceration parents. A DCPC initiative that has been especially close to Dr. Hart-Johnson’s heart has been the mentorship program for residents at the Fairview Residential Reentry Center.
Per Dr. Hart-Johnson, “When it came time for me to change my career [via a doctoral degree], I wanted to do something meaningful and humanitarian. Now social change is truly in my DNA. For me, it’s about effecting positive change that improves the quality of life for people in my community.”