For a Morgan State alumni Whitney Johnson, creativity and passion collide, that space lives somewhere between the hardwood and the stage. From electrifying the court with her leadership in fast breaks to cementing her name in school history with records in scoring, steals, and assists, she was a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court. She is now commanding the spotlight, she shows us that student-athletes can grow careers beyond the game. They're storytellers, dreamers, and change-makers.
A proud Detroit, Michigan native, she always knew she had something to say. Whether it was through sport or the arts, she brought a sense of presence and purpose that turned heads—and opened doors during time spent here but followed her to post-graduate life.
Stepping onto campus, she immediately felt the energy of the students. "The city itself, Baltimore, reminded me of growing up in Detroit," she said. One of the early-on buildings she remembered catching her eye was the, at the time, newly built Murphy Fine Arts Center. It had a lasting impression from her tour day one.
"I already had an affinity for acting," she said. "But at the time, I was steeped in sports. I thought, 'If I come here, maybe I could get closer to theater and major in it.' That building felt like a space where that part of me could live."
From Hill Field House to the Fine Arts building less than 1,000 feet away, she always felt drawn—although tied up with being the star of the Morgan State women's basketball team from 2003-04 to 2006-07.
When she arrived at Morgan State, she was determined to major in theater, but that didn't go as planned.
"I was told no," she explained. "At the time, I was one of the stars of the basketball team, and they said you don't have the time to get the credits needed for a theater degree. You don't have the bandwidth, the schedule, or the capacity for that." She paused for a moment, recalling how it felt.
"I was like, 'How are you going to tell me what I can and can't do?' It felt impossible to them, but not to me."
Despite the initial redirection, she still respected the decision. "I followed their lead because, at the end of the day, it was their program." Directors suggested she stay close to the program and take some classes within the theater department, and that's what she did—seeing it out joining a production within her senior year.
But the passion didn't leave.
"I couldn't keep up with it the way I wanted to, but I never let go of that dream," she said. She pivoted, majoring in Communication Studies with a concentration in Public Relations, studying under Dr. Tolson—but still found ways to stay connected to the arts as her creative fire never left. Whether it was sneaking in time to rehearse for a student production or practicing for her oral presentation class with Prof Jan Short, she always made space for the arts.
"It all felt like: this is my next stage. This is where I am. This is it."
She came to Morgan as a former standout dual-sport athlete. Track came naturally—she made states during her first year of high school and held multiple school records in hurdles and sprints. But basketball? That was love.
"Track was something I was good at. But basketball challenged me," she said. "I started playing because my older brother played. And then it just stuck."
She remembers dribbling a tennis ball around campus to sharpen her handles, taking her training seriously. Being a student-athlete taught her preparation, discipline, and trust—in herself and in the moment. Those same lessons would show up again when the curtain rose in the theater later on for her.
"Basketball taught me that all you have is your preparation and your instincts," she said. "Same thing with theater. When you're on that stage, that's what you have to rely on."
Morgan gave her lifelong memories. Memories traveling to Alaska her freshman year at 19 years old during Thanksgiving to play in a tournament. She remembered going dog sledding and seeing giant moose. "Morgan created many different kind of opportunities for me that I never would have thought or probably experienced otherwise"
Her experience was also shaped by learning how to navigate Morgan. "You learn how to be personable, speak to people, remember names, positions, and titles," she said. "Morgan teaches you not to take no for an answer."
Her Morgan State family never left her, she says even until this day. Upon graduation, she moved in with a former teammate as she set her eyes on New York City. Even her former coach Donchez Graham, now Associate Head Women's Basketball Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, helped her secure her first job after college, helping really set her feet down once she left Morgan.
Her most recent role— as Sandra in the play Confederates by Dominique Morisseau at the Detroit Public Theater was a three-month stretch of 29 shows.
Years later, they're still in her corner.
"One of my teammates texted me the day after the show opened and was like, 'I saw your flyer. I'm so proud of you. I love you,'" she said. "Another group of my teammates flew out to visit me, and celebrate my birthday afterwards.That kind of sisterhood doesn't fade."
Now standing on the other side of her Morgan experience, Whitney carries every lesson with her—on stage, on screen, or in life.
And the game? It's still part of her.
"I still find courts when I need peace," she said. "I'll go shoot around—no cameras, no audience. Just me and the ball. It brings me back to who I am."
"I always say—there's more I can be. There are more parts of me I want to explore. And Morgan gave me the space to do that."
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
