We salute the men listed in our annual list of INFLUENITAL BROTHA’S not only for the exceptional in work in their related fields but also for their commitment to uplifting of our people and community.
Dr. Larry D. Johnson, Jr – College President
Dr. Johnson is a bold, creative and experienced academic leader. During his tenure at Guttman, he has led transformational changes and established a vision for enrollment growth and ensuring students leave the institution prepared to earn family-sustaining wages. Collaborating with faculty, staff, and senior leadership, Johnson championed the new six-year strategic plan (Guttman Forward 2028), launched inaugural Career Innovation HUB, increased campus outreach and engagement, applied laser focus on grants, and reimagined institutional structures to support success.
Johnson has distinguished record of higher education experience and has served on national board and commissions with organizations such as the American Association of Community Colleges, Presidents’ Round Table, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Mayor’s African American Advisory Committee, Helping Hands for Single Moms, to name a few. He has actively engaged in fund and friend-raising and championed institutional grants and awards that have resulted in over $12M.
As a leader committed to equity and inclusion, Johnson was selected to participate in the inaugural Aspen New President’s Institute to gain a deeper understanding of the competences required to advance equitable outcomes for diverse student populations.
Dr. Marco Clark – Educator
Dr. Marco Clark is a well-respected educator, forward thinking innovator, exemplary author, polarizing public speaker, and veteran in the world of urban education. Dr. Clark currently serves as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Richard Wright Public Charter Schools for Journalism and Media Arts in Washington, D.C. In addition to his work as Founder and CEO, he is Chairman of “Man the Block,” an organization focused on providing safe passage for students to and from school.
At age 10, Dr. Clark became a spelling bee champion. Ironically by age 11, a guidance counselor labeled Dr. Clark as a functional illiterate. This label disrupted his educational journey for many years. However, it was that label that eventually sparked Dr. Clark’s fight against illiteracy and the need for student development and worldwide advocacy. Through the unwavering support of his parents, Dr. Clark was able to make it through high school and go on to Clark Atlanta University, where he met a professor, Dr. Johnny L. Wilson, who recognized his potential, believed in him, and helped him shape his educational path and platform for the years to come. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in Secondary Education from Clark Atlanta University, Dr. Clark went on to earn a Master’s degree in Special Education from Coppin State University, a Master’s degree in Education Administration from Goucher College, and a Doctorate in Higher Education from Morgan State University. By the age of 34, almost 25 years after being labeled as a functional illiterate, Dr. Clark emerged as a noted educator and scholar.
Dr. Clark has received numerous awards and appeared on hundreds of talk shows, as well as serving as keynote speaker in various venues across the country. Dr. Clark also serves as the Education Contributor for Patty Jackson’s Re-Wind Show on WDAS 105.3 FM, Philadelphia. Dr. Marco Clark is a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and a continued advocate for educational and social change. His motto is “You can’t beat a person who is determined to win.”
Lamar Giles – Author
Lamar Giles is an author and a founding member of We Need Diverse Books. His most recent novels include NOT SO PURE AND SIMPLE his first Contemporary Coming-of-Age Story (HarperTeen/HarperCollins) and Middle-Grade Fantasy THE LAST MIRROR ON THE LEFT (Versify/HMH), the sequel to his 2019 hit THE LAST LAST-DAY-OF-SUMMER.
Lamar is a three-time Edgar Award finalist in the YA category, for his debut YA thriller FAKE ID (HarperCollins, 2014), his second YA thriller, ENDANGERED (HarperCollins, 2015), and his MG fantasy, EPIC ELLISONS: COSMOS CAMP (Versify/HarperCollins, 2023). His third and fourth YA thrillers, OVERTURNED (Scholastic, 2017) and SPIN (Scholastic, 2019), as well as his middle-grade debut THE LAST LAST-DAY-OF-SUMMER received glowing New York Times reviews, and were named to multiple Best Of lists, including Time Magazine, Kirkus Reviews, and Amazon.
Lamar is the editor of the We Need Diverse Books YA short story anthology FRESH INK (Random House, 2018), and a contributor to many YA and middle-grade anthologies including THREE SIDES OF A HEART (HarperCollins, 2017), BLACK ENOUGH: STORIES OF BEING YOUNG & BLACK IN AMERICA (HarperCollins / Balzer & Bray, 2019), THE HERO NEXT DOOR (Random House, 2019), HIS HIDEOUS HEART (Flatiron Books, 2019) and SUPER PUZZLETASTIC MYSTERIES (HarperCollins, 2020). He has published several short stories for adults.
His current best seller “RUIN ROAD” has been hearlded as a must read for 2024-2025.
Don Tate – Children’s Book Author / Illustrator
Don Tate is an award-winning illustrator of numerous critically acclaimed books for children, including Carter Reads The Newspaper (Peachtree Publishing, 2019), No Small Potatoes: Junius G. Groves and his Kingdom in Kansas (Knopf, 2018), Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions (Charlesbridge, 2016) The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch (Eerdmans, 2015); many others.
He is also the author of Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton (Peachtree,2015); It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started To Draw (Lee & Low Books, 2102), both books are Ezra Jack Keats award winners, and most recently, Strong As Sandow: How Eugen Sandow Became The Strongest Man on Earth (Charlesbridge, 2017).
His other titles include Par-Tay! Dance of the Veggies (and their friends), written by Eloise Greenfield (Alazar, 2018), and Stalebread Charlie and the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band, written by Michael Mahin (Clarion, 2018).
Other titles include William Still and his Freedom Stories: Father of the Underground Railroad (Peachtree Publishing Company, Nov. 2020), and Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters, written by Suzanne Slade (Little Brown, Nov. 2020).
Don is a founding host of the The Brown Bookshelf –a blog dedicated to books for African American young readers; and a one-time member of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign, created to address the lack of diverse, non-majority narratives in children’s literature.
Anthony Nela – Educator
Neal earned his Ph.D. in political science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). Dr. Neal is an associate professor at State University College, Buffalo. The author of hunderds of book reviews and journal articles, he has had his work published in the Western Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, and Black Issues in Higher Education. In 2014, Dr. Neal received the university’s Faculty Appreciation Award, was named Instructor of the Year by the university’s United Student Government, and Professor of the Year by the Student Political Society in the Department of Political Science.
