Dr. Umar Johnson is a great motivational speaker but so are many religious leaders and great sales men. It doesn't make them great people with good intentions for their followers. There was always something about this brother that just didn't seem authentic, but, I couldn't really place my finger on what it was. I did a little research about the school he wanted to build and this is what I found.
Umar Johnson has become a professional fundraiser. He had a deadline of August 21, 2014 to purchase St. Paul's College without a clear operational plan, staff, potential students, and other necessities for a school. The projected fundraising goal was five million dollars. The goal was not achieved. What most fundraisers do is to either go to a plan B of using the funds for another projected goal, extending the deadline, or returning the money at the option of donors. Umar chose to switch projects and expand the deadline, at least this is what he told supporters. He has mentioned purchasing other schools but not with the urgency of the original project. Essentially, fundraising has become his means of income. Umar Johnson is not an employed professional or business owner. His means of income is fundraising. This is fraudulent behavior. Fundraising is not for personal income. It is for the fundraising goal. If a percentage of funds goes towards other expenses or not, there should be full transparency. Umar Johnson does not provide his supporters with full transparency. The entire project is questionable because Umar is an individual without any significant educational or organizational leadership. Perhaps if the project was sincere, he would start with a much smaller and manageable school to gain experience. However, if money is the goal, then he would begin where he is now which is fundraising and only fundraising.
A lack of financial transparency leads to suspicion of fraud. Umar Johnson has been questioned and has not provided public financial accounts of expenditures of monies collected and monies spent. He has become angry when questioned around collections, plans, and expenditures such as what had taken place on a radio show with a female caller who was silenced by him and the radio host who quickly went to a break while Umar called the sister a “reactionary” for the questions about a clear plan, transparency, and accountability of funds.
Further, there is no financial plan of sustainability to run the school which he allegedly intends to open. A five million dollar school would have significant budgetary expenditures in salaries and facilities, not to mention the start-up costs alone. Depending on student population, a five million dollar school may very well need more than five million dollars annually to run. Tuition costs would be driven in part by the population of the student body. With 35 buildings at St. Paul's College having over 700 students at one point, tuition may be expected to be approximately 5-10 thousand dollars or more to cover expenditures and salaries if Umar actually opened a school. The problem with Umar is that there is no financial plan or blueprint developed for his fundraising supporters or the public? A lack of financial transparency could mean a few different conclusions. 1. There was never serious intent to purchase and run a school in the first place, only to raise money and reputation build. 2. The money is being used for personal living expenses. 3. This phase of professional fundraising was not carefully thought out and maybe he thinks it’s ok to figure it out along the way which is unsound fiscally. I believe it’s a combination of these and it all adds up to fraud. Education leaders who are successful do not operate by chance or without a clear plan.
There is and never have been a board of trustees, consultants, or advisors. Umar Johnson does not have any experience as a school administrator or educational leader. He is a professional speaker who makes a living from speaking. He has never balanced a school budget, does not understand leadership dynamics, and with this obvious lack of experience, he would need consultants and advisors if he were serious about the project. He would further need a board of trustees which he does not have. The board would provide governance and checks and balances in management. A board would have a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and members who would provide organizational leadership and expertise in various areas. Consultants and advisors would provide guidance, questions, and insight based on years of experience and accomplishments. Why not have these important people in your corner with such a project? Unless: 1.Umar only wanted to raise funds for personal gain. 2. He wanted popularity instead of achieving a goal.
An apology is extended to our global readers. It was previously cited as fact that Jermaine Shoemake (aka Umar Johnson) had without doubt earned his doctoral degree from our research team's investigation into the Student Clearinghouse, a third party verification company for degrees.
However, that information is not factual. There is no information to date that Jermaine Shoemake (also known as Umar Johnson) earned a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD). There is evidence that an "Umar Johnson" earned this degree but evidence shows this was not Jermaine Shoemake. The research team, led by the excellent Sister Chantell Beaty in this area, has turned up evidence that there is possibly two different people. There is verified evidence that
someone named "Umar R. Abdullah-Johnson" earned a Doctor of Psychology in 2012. However, there is no evidence that Jermaine Shoemake ( also known as Umar Johnson, the public speaker) earned this degree PsyD in 2012 or any other year.
This section originally stated the following:
"Dr. Johnson has the credentials which he states in public which are doubted by many in the community. Dr. Umar Johnson has an Administrative I principal certification, a certification for school psychology according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education: (
http://www.teachercertification.pa.gov/Screens/wfSearchEducators.aspx). He earned a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in clinical psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).., under the name of Umar Rashad Abdullah-Johnson."
The research team, in this area under the excellent leadership of Sister Chantell Beatey will be releasing new information, fact based and backed by more evidence that is undeniable, Again, an apology goes out to all of our readers for unintentionally misleading of the public into thinking the PsyD of Umar had been confirmed when in fact it has not. Umar Johnson (also known as Jermaine Shoemake) has not provided proof to date that he is "Dr. Umar Johnson" or that he has a Doctor of Psychology. The only evidence of an Umar Johnson receiving the degree is from 2012, years after the Umar in question began calling himself "Dr. Umar Johnson". As an important investigatory note, Jermaine Shoemake had been calling himself Dr. Umar Johnson for at least a couple of years before 2012 when the degree was received. Also, it should be noted that PCOM removed the PDF of the dissertation after this essay went public. Yet still, the dissertation may be associated with another Umar. Either way, he lied to his followers up to 2012 or he never earned the degree at all. Both are fraudulent acts. If Umar Johnson is THE Dr. Umar Rashad Abdullah-Johnson who earned the degree in 2012, why did he say he had it years before it was awarded? He can easily provide evidence by posting his transcripts, diploma, dissertation, and proof of ID to these documents. To date, he has not provided any of this information. This fact stands as proof of fraud by Umar.
Umar is not as original as he claims. He states that he is the only Black Psychologist to conduct psychological research on Black children and racism. He claims that no leaders are doing what he does! He is in essence discrediting an entire movement for his own purpose of reputation building. Umar states that he is a certified school psychologist and certified school principal, and has a private practice in Philadelphia Pennsylvania where he evaluates children for special education disability determination. He allegedly works with charter schools, public schools, superintendents, principals, special education attorneys, and advocate groups. He is founder of an advocacy parent group, The National Independent Black Parent Association. Umar states that he has written the only book ever written by a black school psychologist. This claim is fraudulent.
Umar, please note that in due respect to our ancestors that there has been a broad view of scholarly and seminal works in psychology and particularly in the psychology of black children with added emphasis on black boys. As leaders, all scholarly works are considered for the betterment of the people and in promoting the progression of black children, and not just by one scholar alone.
Dr. Amos Wilson of
The Developmental Psychology of the Black Child (Wilson, 1978), and Dr. Bobby E. Wright of
Psychopathic Racial Personality and Other Essays (Wright, 1985) are a couple of examples with valid arguments to go along with and against
Psycho-Academic Holocaust: The Special Education and ADHD Wars Against Black Boys (Johnson, 2013). Your confinement as a stand alone scholar goes against all of the teachings of a doctoral scholar and certified researcher. Additionally, to name a few, Wade Nobles, Nai’m Akbar, and the late Frances Cress-Welsing have all made major and more significant contributions to Afrikan-Centered psychology long before Umar.
Umar has not proven that he is related to Frederick Douglass. Before Umar became popular throughout the country, he became well-known locally in the city of Philadelphia as a descendant of Frederick Douglass. This is how he began to attract audiences who I heard personally excited to “go hear a descendant of Frederick Douglass!” That would be great, except while building his reputation as a Douglass descendant, no proof was ever provided. He has provided some fictitious relationship verbally while speaking. However, like so many things with this “leader,” you must believe him and take his words without evidence and facts. However, facts are not established by words but with evidence.
Ken Morris and his mother Nettie Washington Douglass are true and established descendants of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. Birth records, wedding certificates, family pictures, and a family tree in the Library of Congress exist that establishes their relationship to Frederick Douglass and to Booker T. Washington. No such records relate Umar to Ken and his mother Nettie or anyone else related to Frederick Douglass or Booker T. Washington. Ken and Nettie have co-founded the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI) and are advocates against modern slavery and human trafficking around the world. They are continuing the work of their great ancestor. Neither Ken Morris, Nettie Washington Douglass, nor any other proven descendant have spoken of any relationship to Umar Johnson and he is not a member of the Family Initiative. Considering that Ken Morris is outspoken, I highly doubt that Umar would begin referencing him in public. I’m sure that Ken Morris would denounce him and other frauds publicly if he needed to do so to protect the authenticity of his family lineage. The Douglass Family Initiative is an organization making a real difference in the world by real descendants of Frederick Douglass. They should have your support instead of an idea for a school that doesn’t exist, pawned off by a charlatan, who is a fake descendant. Support real projects, not con games.
The Frederick Douglass Family Initiative (FDFI) are aware of Umar Johnson and other frauds such as Frederick Douglass IV aka "Fake Fred". FDFI do not acknowledge the nebulous fraud claims of Umar Johnson. By the way, Fake Fred IV has been more successful and prosperous at perpetrating as a Douglass descendant than Umar. For details read: Role of a Lifetime,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...8/18/AR2007081801113.html?nav=rss_print/style(Washington Post, 2007)
I got this from the link below and there is more stuff I didn't post. I'm not sure if Dr. Umar Johnson ever had a formal response to this stuff but if he did, please post it or the link for us to read.
http://afrikan-resistance.blogspot.com/2015/12/evidence-and-facts-vs-fraud-and.html
