Timothy J. Johnson PhD

Featured Leader: Timothy J. Johnson PhD

PhD, Volunteer Minister Asbury First United Methodist Church & Professor Emeritus Roberts Wesleyan College

Photographer: Rashaad Parker

Rashaad Parker earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York College at Brockport in Communications and Afro-African American Studies. He has a master’s degree in Fine Arts and Arts Management from the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY. Rashaad is a filmmaker and photographer whose work focuses on the intersectionality between art and social justice activism. His artwork also uses Afro-futuristic mixed media that incorporates metals, found objects, videography, 16mm film, sound, sculpture, photo collage, digital images, and textiles.

Essayist: Miriam Zinter

On July 5, 2021 Miriam Zinter had an uncomfortable conversation with a neighbor whom she had known for 30 years. The neighbor asked her why she had a “Black Lives Matter” sign in her front yard, when black people “murder each other every day and black lives don’t matter to them.”  Miriam Zinter is a black woman who is very light-skinned, and appears to be white. This encounter was a catalyst which inspired her to write a Personal Piece for the Huffington Post entitled “I’m Black, But Look White. Here Are The Horrible Things White People Feel Safe Telling Me.” The piece went viral, garnering millions of views and generating discourse on the subject of race. 

What is race? 
Who is black? 
Who is white? 

Conversations about race have always been provocative. Which is why Miriam likes to write about them. She has an active Twitter account where she frequently Tweets about her parents, her family and her ancestors who were enslaved on the Fitts Plantation in North Carolina. Miriam has written a number of poems, short stories, one novel (unpublished) and is currently working on a woman play and another novel. 

For the past thirty-five years, Miriam has worked on a variety of social-justice issues, including homelessness, affordable housing and home-ownership in the black community. Miriam sits on several boards of directors including The House of Mercy, PathStone and WXXI’s Community Advisory Board and WXXI’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. Miriam is a member of Pillars, which is a group of African-American and Hispanic professionals who work within the Rochester City School District to mentor students.