Wake Forest Athletics
Johnson Making His Mark On and Off the Court
11/24/2020 12:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The summer of 2020 will be remembered for the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the struggle here in the United States for social justice.
Knowing grad transfer guard Jalen Johnson had an interest in art and graphic design, Wake Forest director of player relations Joe Hugley enlisted him to design a t-shirt demonstrating the program's commitment to fighting for social justice and equality.
"I had told the coaching staff I was interested in art, and they probably knew about it before I even got here," Johnson said. "Joe reached out to me about the opportunity to design a t-shirt. I jumped at it, because graphic design is a field I hope to go into.
"Any time I get to showcase my art, especially for a cause that is relevant in society today, is something that I'm eager to jump on."
The Wake Forest Basketball team and coaching staff took part in a peaceful protest in Winston-Salem later in the summer, and also had a virtual meeting with Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough to learn about leadership qualities and discuss social justice topics.
"It's a controversial subject with the Black Lives Matter movement and standing up for equal rights," Johnson said. "As a player, knowing that you have your coaches' support, that works wonders for you and you feel you can really make a change. It's great that I had the chance to make my voice heard so freely and be supported by people you're with everyday. Your teammates and coaches are your family. That's who you're with every day. Just knowing you have their support is beautiful."
The passion Johnson has for art started young in life and was initially inspired by his parents, Nikki Berry and Brian Johnson — who both also juggled athleticism and artistic ability. Berry ran track at UNC, competing in the hurdles and high jump and Brian Johnson was an All-American sprinter for ECU.
"It was a passion I got as a kid," Jalen said. "My earliest art memories were with my mom and dad. She used to work on paintings. It was something I stuck with. As a kid, I would go on the computer, find a picture and then go draw it. I would spend my mornings like that."
Johnson had his dynamic colored pencil drawing of Kobe Bryant used on a t-shirt last season at Tennessee as they paid tribute to the NBA legend after his passing.
"We had a moment of silence to pay tribute to Kobe," he said. "That picture was on a t-shirt tribute to Kobe."
That project, which was completed during his high school at Wesleyan Christian Academy, took Johnson a couple months to complete. He gives a lot of credit to his high school art teacher, Sandy Bohon.
Juggling his first full semester in post-grad work at Wake Forest along with preparation for the season means that Johnson hasn't yet had much time for art or graphic design since his return to North Carolina.
"My schedule is pretty packed," he said. "Whenever I get free time right now, I just want to rest up. Maybe during Christmas I might be able to tap into my creative side."
In terms of basketball, Johnson is eager to see the season tip off Wednesday in the Mako Medical Wake Forest Classic against Delaware State.
"We've been working hard to follow the rules and guidelines, to take the necessary steps to be healthy and have a season," he said. "We're anxious and I'm sure the fans are anxious as well. We want to get this thing rolling."
