Maria S. Johnson

Founder and Chairperson

Black Women and Girls Fund

Dr. Maria Johnson (she/her) is a scholar and funder who focuses on inequalities in race, gender, family, policy, and philanthropy. She leads the Black Women and Girls Fund (BWGF) and supports institutional efforts to improve equity in philanthropy through her consulting practice, Equity Thought. Dr. Johnson’s research and publications have explored limitations of prior social scientific examinations of Black fatherhood and identified underexamined aspects of Black father-child relationships, particularly between Black fathers and daughters. Her work has been published peer-reviewed journals such as the Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race, Gender & Society, and Psychology of Men & Masculinities. Additionally, Dr. Johnson served as an assistant professor at the University of Delaware and worked on issues of diversity in various positions at the University of Michigan. Dr. Johnson earned a Ph.D. in public policy and sociology from the University of Michigan and a BA in history from Hampton University.