Rahman K. Ross- Johnson was elected in 2023 to represent District 14 on the Jacksonville City Council. He is a professor of journalism and communications at Edward Waters University, the oldest private institution of higher education in Florida.
Councilman Johnson was born and raised in Jacksonville. He graduated with honors from Jean Ribault High School, and holds degrees from Edward Waters University, Seton Hall University, and is currently a PhD candidate at Jackson State University.
Councilman Johnson has worked as a radio and television personality for stations nationwide. He has served on the Jacksonville Civil Rights Task Force, the Downtown Development Authority LaVilla Gateway Project Steering Committee, Mimi and Lee Adams Environmental Board, the Thurgood Marshall Achievers Society Board, the Guardian Schools Board, and the Sickle Cell Disease Association Board.
Councilman Johnson is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., SAG/AFTRA, The Urban League, the National Association of Black Journalists, the American Association of University Professors, and The United Nations Association of the United States. He also served as a Stakeholder for the Jacksonville Insight Process under Mayor Ed Austin and was an organizer of the Jacksonville Community Council Forum for the Future.
Councilman Johnson has appeared in media worldwide. He was featured in EBONY Magazine as an outstanding young leader, quoted in USA Today and the London Times, hosted and produced an award-winning daily show on Nickelodeon, and was named one of 10 to watch during the decade by The Florida Times-Union newspaper. He has received countless awards for journalism, teaching, and acting during his more than 30-year career.
Councilman Johnson currently serves on the Land Use and Zoning and Rules Committees. He is also the council liaison to the Joint Planning Committee and the Safety & Crime Reduction Commission.
Councilman Johnson authored a poetry collection: Living, Loving, Letting Go. The book was named Book of the Year by the American Library Association. He continues to perform and lecture spreading a message of self-actualization and cultural understanding.
