We recently connected with Nicole Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The researchers at Harriet Tubman Effect and I have been working together for three years now. Harriet Tubman Effect is a research institute that seeks to dismantle systemic oppression through storytelling, participatory action research and social justice initiatives, Last year we began to deeply engage in our participatory action research projects through a year long learning program for sustainable social change. Throughout the year we developed a variety of meaningful projects that we are getting ready to celebrate at our end of year launch at Lincoln Center on October 24th.

https://nicolejohnson1306.wixsite.com/my-site/team-3 – more about me

Here is a video about the year long program and here are all of the projects that have been developed from our time together. Our year long program was home to 60 aspiring researchers who have become the bedrock of our the meaningful project that I want to present to you all for consideration. See more about the Lantern Fund described below.

The lantern in LANTERN FUND represents our commitment to lighting pathways toward freedom. A lantern on a house during the early 1800s indicated that a safe house on the Underground Railroad was “all clear,” or ready to receive someone on their journey as they escaped to the north. We believe the lanterns of modern day show up in many ways: seats in our theatres, workplace support funding, and mental health resources. Your sponsorship is the first of many lanterns that we hope to light in our time as leaders in the movement.

LANTERN TIX

FUNDING AFFORDABLE TICKETING – LanternTix is a strategic ticketing initiative that lights pathways for community groups to attend theater. Our work prioritizes sustainability, equity, and care by removing barriers to create spaces of joy and belonging. LanternTix creates relationships with productions to provide access to free or discounted tickets to Harriet Tubman Effect approved individuals and communities, including: Lifesworc, Queens Community House, Epic Players, PPAS, Waterwell, Apex for Youth, Covenant House, Leadership Prep, Democracy Prep, SNAP, Queens Metropolitan, Creo College Prep, WEPA, Department of Education, Queens Library, Community Advocate and many more.

SUPPORT SERVICES:

LANTERN POC COACHING – Lantern Coaching supports POC in their self determination journeys by providing them with underwritten coaching in legal, mental health, financial sustainability, workplace trauma and resource development needs. The program functions like a concierge service supporting participants through an application process that leads to customized coaching sessions offered by leaders of all racial background across industries.

LANTERN LIBRARIES – The Lantern Library is a pop up museum and multi-faceted education experience for guests who are interested in dismantling systemic oppression. Lantern Library is designed to help leaders engage with stories of the past to help our problem solving and equity work of the future and to provide BIPOC leaders a space to network, share their work, showcase themselves and recruit employment opportunities. The Lantern Library serves as an orchestrated network for the practice of reallocating wealth across identities and professions.

LANTERN GUIDE – HTE Lantern Guide is a digital assessment tool that helps members of your organization share and track individual and organizational progress in workplace wellness. The tool is inspired by the Negro Motorist’s Greenbook and utilizes personal stories to illuminate pathways toward sustainable social change in your workplace.

LANTERN ORGS – Lantern Orgs allows HTE to support organizations who would not otherwise be able to raise funds and gain mainstream attraction on their own. HTE chooses each partner org carefully based on alignment of their mission and our own values. In partnership with these organizations, HTE produces educational content, videos, pitch packets and social media content to activate brand awareness that strengthens the infrastructure of our collective dismantling systemic oppression goals.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a DEI Director that works in K-12, Higher Education, Houses of Worship, Corporate, Theater, TV and Film supporting people with vocabulary, resources and storytelling tools that will help them transform their workplaces and dismantle systemic or oppression. I’m also Founder of Harriet Tubman Effect that I described in the previous slide. The main industry that we work in that has really caught momentum is the theater industry. Here is a small bio

HARRIET TUBMAN EFFECT (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion). Nicole Javanna Johnson is the Founder of the Harriet Tubman Effect Institute, a human resource center and institute of research for dismantling systemic oppression. DEI Director and Consultant on PASSOVER, Freestyle Love Supreme, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Is This A Room and Dana H., Lincoln Center and New York Theater Workshop,

We seem to be gaining so much traction in theater probably because of my roots in the industry,. I was an ensemble kick your face little black girl in regional productions, some tv and film. Honestly I was horribly insecure and felt out of my element but perfectionism and sense of urgency to make it to the top helped me land my gigs. There was a moment though.. when my first pay check as a non union performer was much too little, I was working at a diner at the same time while I was in the shows and suddenly my grit had me shifted to a union contract where all of the sudden I was valued differently. I wasn’t a non union performer in cramped housing, with one big company van, lack of consideration about our quality of life… all of the sudden I was living in different housing, lots of benefits and perks.

Out of shear luck and connections I got pulled out of one part of the system and inserted into another and the difference in my quality of life was stark. It was nasty to me. That’s when I knew I wasn’t going to be a part of that industry. At least not the industry it was in 2010 It was my first gig. I said I’ll wait for the reckoning and come back. And that’s what I did, I left soon after I did a few more gigs and went into a bigger system, nonprofit- same patterns . city government. School systems, small business Department of Ed.. corporate same patterns.

I navigated several industries grabbing information that was certainly going to be useful in the cross industry work that I’m doing now,
the main thing that I want clients to know about us is our willingness to collaborate and cooperate around methods for sustainable social change. We are excited to partner with organizations and individuals who want to be a part of transformation in their communities in regards to workplace wellness, equity and inclusion and we experience a lot of joy and belonging doing it. This coming year we are utilizing the research of last year to step into reparations season… you can learn more here https://www.harriettubmaneffect.com/reparations

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

We seek to reallocate wealth to Black and Brown leaders and professionals across industries. In partnership with people of all racial backgrounds we hope to activate an ecosystem that supports our collective pursuit to right past wrongs and address inequities in the workplace

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Our relationship to bell hooks, Belonging a Culture of Place and the story of Harriet Tubman’s Combahee River Raid inspire our cooperative mindset. We believe we can instill with in everyone the courage to run towards the things they deserve by building an ecosystem where people can practice belonging and reallocating wealth

Contact Info:

• Website: www.HarrietTubmaneffect.com
• Instagram: @theharriettubmaneffect
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolejavanna

Image Credits
We will have to send you our group photos separately they are currently being edited Credit Jurien Higgins I’m only uploading those images because the application won’t let me move forward without them, but Jurien will have to get us the edited photos separately