Alumnus to speak at North Central prayer breakfast
North Central College alumnus and international photographer David W. Johnson will be the guest speaker at the school's annual Prayer Breakfast to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The breakfast starts at 7 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15, in the school's Wentz Science Center.
Hosted by college President Troy D. Hammond, the breakfast opens a week of celebratory activities honoring King.
Johnson's work has appeared in Times Square, Fitness Magazine, Michigan Avenue Magazine and many other national and international publications.
His photography also is part of the global rebranding of Motorola Solutions, and his work has appeared on ESPN, Google, National Alzheimer's Association and Microsoft.
At North Central, Johnson earned a degree in religious studies in 2007 and was a member of the track and field team. His interest in photography emerged during a spring break mission trip to El Salvador.
"For those two weeks, I started to see a light in people that I had never quite seen before," Johnson said. "This focus became the framework for my calling."
Johnson's parents met on campus, and he grew up splitting his time between Naperville and Chicago's South Side, giving him a variety of experiences to draw from in his work and mission.
"At the time, I wanted to fit in both places, but over time I realized that this multicultural experience was a gift for me," Johnson said. "It gave me perspective."
His passion for service continued in his professional career, working extensively with nonprofit and international aid organizations to raise funds for under-resourced communities around the world. He has traveled to Asia, Central America, East Africa, Eastern Europe and India.
An accomplished public speaker, Johnson was a presenter at the college's annual TEDx talk, sharing how personal perspective can act like an internal camera lens.
Reservations are required; contact Chelsea Armstrong at (630) 637-5151 or studentaffairs@noctrl.edu.
King spoke to North Central students when he visited campus in 1960. Since then, the college honors and remembers his visit every year with a keynote presentation, musical tributes, a prayer breakfast and other activities.
The college's MLK Week is sponsored, in part, by Nicor Gas, the college's offices of Multicultural Affairs and Ministry and Service, Cultural Events, Student Governing Association and Residence Life.
The college also welcomes Marc Lamont Hill, author, television host and political commentator, at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, in the Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center. Tickets are free to the North Central community and $5 per person for the public. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance by calling (630) 637-7469.