MCRC Education Equity in Michigan Report
This division supports the state ADA Coordinator in carrying out the duties outlined in Executive Order 2004-31.
CEED seeks to engage a broad range of stakeholders to achieve long-term and sustainable outcomes to complex problems. We collaborate with community organizations; churches; non-profit organizations; and city, county, state and federal government entities to address issues affecting the well-being of community members. Engaging in a collaborative manner is a powerful tool used to bring about environmental, social and behavioral changes that will improve the health of the community and its members.
The mission of the Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing is to affirm the indisputable rights of deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing residents to effective communication. The Division provides advocacy, interpreter testing, technical assistance, and interpreting services for the Governor, legislature, and state departments.
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office develops educational training session and resources designed to increase awareness of implicit bias and its impact in the work we do and the people we serve.
CEED’s educational efforts provide customers with information and training about civil rights laws and enhances the awareness of civil rights issues. It provides the public with a resource for the proactive prevention of discrimination within a community.
The primary mission of the MCRC and MDCR is to investigate complaints of discrimination in employment, education, housing, public accommodation, law enforcement and public service.
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Executive Director
John. E. Johnson, Jr. is the Executive Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) and a member of the cabinet of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. MDCR serves as the operational arm of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, enforcing the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and related disability laws in Michigan.
The Michigan Civil Rights Commission named Johnson to the MDCR leadership position on July 26, 2021. At MDCR, Johnson oversees an annual budget of more than $18 million and offices in Lansing, Grand Rapids and Detroit.
Before his appointment to lead MDCR, Johnson served as MDCR Legislative Liaison and Advisor to the Commission, beginning on May 3, 2021. He served as Interim Executive Director for MDCR from May 24, 2021 to July 26, 2021. Prior to his service with MDCR, Johnson was the Executive Director of the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, a position he held for seven years.
Over the course of his career, Johnson has served in a number of leadership positions, including Corporation Counsel for the City of Detroit, General Counsel to the Detroit NAACP, Deputy Executive Director of the Legal Aid and Defender Association, and Hearing Officer for the Michigan Tax Tribunal. He was also a Management Consultant with Legal Services Corporation of Washington D.C., the single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans in the nation. Johnson also owned a private law practice.
Johnson was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Howard University and a Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso University. He has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan for more than 41 years and has been involved with the Detroit NAACP since 1992.
