Derrick Johnson

Biography

Derrick Johnson is the 19th president and CEO of the NAACP, a role he has held since October 2017. Previously, he served as vice chairman of the National Board of Directors and president of the Mississippi State Conference. Under his leadership, the NAACP launched NAACP Capital and the "We Are Done Dying" campaign exposing healthcare inequities. He helped secure a Biden executive order eliminating systemic racial barriers in federal policy. A seasoned civil rights advocate, he prioritizes closing the wealth gap for Black entrepreneurs and data-driven voter mobilization. Born in Detroit, he earned his JD from South Texas College of Law.

Sessions

1. Equitable Innovation: Delivering on AI’s Health Equity Potential Presented by Sanofi

   Thu, Nov 5, 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM CT

   Track Equity, Bias and Clinical Trust

   Emerging technology, like artificial intelligence, is reshaping healthcare at record speed with great potential to advance health equity, but for communities that have long faced barriers to quality care, the promise of AI comes with urgent questions: How do we build trust in emerging technology?  Who is the technology built for? Whose data trains it? At its core, this discussion will focus on a critical question for patients, practitioners, technologists, and communities: Will AI close, or widen, longstanding health disparities? Leading voices in health equity, technology, and policy will explore how to build trustworthy AI systems, ensure representative data, and hold institutions accountable for equitable innovation. Join us for a candid conversation about power, progress, and the future of healthcare access in the age of artificial intelligence and what it will take to get it right for underserved communities.