“To be young, gifted, and Black — oh, what a lovely precious dream.” — Donny Hathaway

Dr. Courtney Nicole Johnson—affectionately known as Dr. J—is an educator, scholar, and storyteller who believes that the most powerful transformations begin with honest conversation. As the founder and creative force behind CourtneyCoffeeChats, she created this space as a sanctuary for reflection, courage, and community—a place where faith meets intellect, and where bold conversations are brewed fresh daily.

Dr. Johnson holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Higher Education Leadership from Clark Atlanta University, where her research centers Black student engagement, sense of belonging, and self-efficacy within predominantly white institutions. Both her scholarship and her lived experience fuel her commitment to creating spaces that affirm identity, cultivate healing, and make room for the voices that the world too often pushes to the margins.

Dr. Johnson is also the originator of the Post-DEI Hollowing Phenomenon™, an emerging framework that examines how institutional retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments reshapes psychological safety, sense of belonging, and student engagement—particularly for Black students navigating predominantly white institutions. Her work has gained national visibility, with multiple speaking invitations at major higher-education conferences, including the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE).

Dr. Johnson’s academic journey is as layered and resilient as the communities she serves. Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona and navigating her own path through predominantly white institutions, she learned early what it meant to search for a sense of belonging while striving for excellence. Her educational background reflects both her tenacity and her calling: to transform the very systems she once had to survive.

She began her academic career at Arizona State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management with a Minor in Special Events Management. Her early training in engagement, event curation, and community-building became the foundation for her later work in student success and campus culture.

Driven by a desire to understand people more deeply, Dr. Johnson went on to earn two graduate degrees while working full-time—proof of her commitment to growth and service. She completed a Master of Science in Psychology at the University of Phoenix, where she studied human development, identity, trauma, and resilience. She later earned a Master of Arts in Communication, with a concentration in Public Relations, from Southern New Hampshire University, sharpening her skills in storytelling, strategic communication, and the power of narrative in shaping culture.

These experiences prepared her for the pinnacle of her scholarly journey: pursuing her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Higher Education Leadership at Clark Atlanta University, a historically Black university whose legacy of intellect and liberation profoundly shaped her. At CAU, Dr. Johnson found the affirmation and cultural grounding she never received in the PWI environments she learned to navigate. Her doctoral research centers Black student engagement, sense of belonging, and self-efficacy—work born from both lived experience and scholarly rigor.

This rich academic tapestry—PWI-trained, online-educated, HBCU-refined—positions Dr. Johnson as a scholar uniquely fluent in the realities, contradictions, and possibilities of American higher education. She doesn’t simply research belonging; she embodies the journey toward it.

“I don’t just study belonging. I have lived the ache of it — and the healing of finally finding it.”
— Dr. Courtney Nicole Johnson

With more than a decade of experience in higher education, Dr. J has served as a college professor, university thought leader, and student advocate across some of Arizona’s largest institutions. Her career is grounded in access, equity, and the transformative power of storytelling—bridging the space between academic research and real-life experience. Whether teaching, mentoring, or leading, she remains guided by one question: How can we make belonging a lived reality, not just a talking point?

CourtneyCoffeeChats was born from that same calling—a desire to cultivate a virtual café where spirituality, scholarship, and authenticity flow together. Here, Dr. J invites readers to slow down, pour a cup, and engage in the kind of bold, unfiltered dialogue that restores the soul. Each reflection is a gentle reminder that growth, like good coffee, takes time to brew—and that every sip of truth has the power to awaken something divine within us.

When she’s not teaching or writing, you’ll find Dr. J exploring with her dogs, attending live music events, laughing through comedy nights, or at church. Her life is a mosaic of learning, laughter, and leadership—proof that joy and depth can coexist, and that faith can be both fierce and tender.

In the words of Donny Hathaway, “I love you in a place where there’s no space or time.”

Through every post, every project, and every conversation, Dr. J hopes to echo that love—to remind us that even in a noisy world, there’s always room for grace, growth, and a freshly brewed cup of truth.

Remember, bold conversations, brewed fresh - one cup at a time!

Dr. Courtney Nicole Johnson

Founder of CourtneyCoffeeChats

Bold Conversations, Brewed Fresh.