Theodore R. Johnson is a contributing columnist at the Washington Post. He is a recognized scholar on race, politics, and American identity, conducting research at think tanks and as a professor of the practice. His work has appeared in national publications across the political spectrum, including the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, and the Wall Street Journal. Johnson is a proud HBCU graduate, holding a BS degree in mathematics from Hampton University, an ALM with a concentration in international relations from Harvard University, and a doctorate of law and policy from Northeastern University. He lives in northern Virginia.

“If We Are Brave is a compelling and thought-provoking meditation on democracy, race, and national identity. It challenges readers to consider the shortcomings of American democracy as a first step toward saving it. In this pivotal year for American and global politics, this book is urgently needed.”  — Keisha N. Blain, co-editor of the #1 New York Times bestseller Four Hundred Souls“If We Are Brave deftly uses America’s history and Johnson’s lived experience to highlight how often Black Americans’ faith in what America can be clashes with the reality of what America repeatedly shows itself to be. Johnson’s informative and reflective essays illustrate how the impacts of the broken promise of American democracy manifest in our everyday experiences, from church to school to work." — Panama Jackson, columnist, TheGrio

Theodore R. Johnson is a contributing columnist at the Washington Post. He is a recognized scholar on race, politics, and American identity, conducting research at think tanks and as a professor of the practice. His work has appeared in national publications across the political spectrum, including the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, and the Wall Street Journal. Johnson is a proud HBCU graduate, holding a BS degree in mathematics from Hampton University, an ALM with a concentration in international relations from Harvard University, and a doctorate of law and policy from Northeastern University. He lives in northern Virginia.

“If We Are Brave is a compelling and thought-provoking meditation on democracy, race, and national identity. It challenges readers to consider the shortcomings of American democracy as a first step toward saving it. In this pivotal year for American and global politics, this book is urgently needed.”  — Keisha N. Blain, co-editor of the #1 New York Times bestseller Four Hundred Souls“If We Are Brave deftly uses America’s history and Johnson’s lived experience to highlight how often Black Americans’ faith in what America can be clashes with the reality of what America repeatedly shows itself to be. Johnson’s informative and reflective essays illustrate how the impacts of the broken promise of American democracy manifest in our everyday experiences, from church to school to work." — Panama Jackson, columnist, TheGrio

Theodore R. Johnson is a contributing columnist at the Washington Post. He is a recognized scholar on race, politics, and American identity, conducting research at think tanks and as a professor of the practice. His work has appeared in national publications across the political spectrum, including the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, and the Wall Street Journal. Johnson is a proud HBCU graduate, holding a BS degree in mathematics from Hampton University, an ALM with a concentration in international relations from Harvard University, and a doctorate of law and policy from Northeastern University. He lives in northern Virginia.

“If We Are Brave is a compelling and thought-provoking meditation on democracy, race, and national identity. It challenges readers to consider the shortcomings of American democracy as a first step toward saving it. In this pivotal year for American and global politics, this book is urgently needed.”  — Keisha N. Blain, co-editor of the #1 New York Times bestseller Four Hundred Souls“If We Are Brave deftly uses America’s history and Johnson’s lived experience to highlight how often Black Americans’ faith in what America can be clashes with the reality of what America repeatedly shows itself to be. Johnson’s informative and reflective essays illustrate how the impacts of the broken promise of American democracy manifest in our everyday experiences, from church to school to work." — Panama Jackson, columnist, TheGrio