Lecture Series: Fred Johnson—The Fighting Seabees

Fred Johnson—The Fighting Seabees

Over 12,500 African Americans served in Seabee units in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II, a group largely forgotten today. During the war these men not only built advanced bases and offloaded cargo, but helped break institutional conceptions of race, paving the road toward complete integration of the Navy.

Johnson joined the Hope faculty in the fall of 2000. His primary field is 19th century U.S. history, specifically the Civil War. His other areas of study include the U.S. in the 20th century, the U.S. military, foreign policy and African history. He is an award-winning public speaker, a member of Toastmasters International and the National Speakers Association. He has advanced to the semifinal rounds of the Toastmasters World Series of Public Speaking competition eight times, placing him among the 100 best speakers in the global organization, taking second place in 2017 and 2018.