About Todd Johnson

Todd Johnson is the Chief Content Officer at theGrio.com. Todd first joined the site as a reporter and video journalist shortly after its launch in June, 2009. He’s covered a variety of important news events, including trips to Haiti reporting on the devastating earthquake, as well as several reports on the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and Ferguson protests. He's previously served as theGrio's Managing Editor, as well as the Editorial Director for NBCBLK, a division of NBC News Digital. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where he received both his bachelors and masters degree.

All Articles

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
March 31, 2014
theGRIO VIDEO – A Wisconsin teen battling cancer met her idol LeBron James Saturday night in Milwaukee. It was a dream come true for 16-year-old Ebony Nettles-Bey, who was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma last October…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
March 20, 2014
theGRIO REPORT – A No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed in the history of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Could this be the year?…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
March 19, 2014
theGRIO REPORT – Freshman Jabari Parker has been pretty unstoppable for Duke basketball this year. Former Duke great Elton Brand has taken notice…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
March 17, 2014
theGRIO REPORT – Atlanta Hawks’ forward Elton Brand said he never imagined logging more than 40 minutes in back-to-back games in this his 15th NBA season…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
March 6, 2014
VIDEO – They are the three letters that strike fear and anxiety in high school students and their parents: S-A-T…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
March 4, 2014
theGRIO REPORT – Later this month will officially mark 70 years since George Stinney Jr. was first accused of murdering two young white girls in Alcolu, South Carolina…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
February 17, 2014
theGRIO REPORT – Mount Rushmore as a sports analogy has never been as popular as it is now. Thank NBA TV analyst Steve Smith for that…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
February 17, 2014
theGRIO VIDEO – Earlier this week, Dale Hansen ripped some of Sam’s critics who said the Missouri All-American had hurt his draft stock by announcing he’s gay…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
February 14, 2014
theGRIO REPORT – NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley sat down with President Barack Obama as part of TNT’s coverage of the All-Star Game. The interview airs Sunday night during the network’s pregame show…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
February 13, 2014
theGRIO REPORT – Myron Rolle is a first-year medical student at the Florida State University College of Medicine. He never appeared in a NFL regular season game, despite his selection by the Tennesee Titans in 2010…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
February 12, 2014
theGRIO REPORT – For all of the focus on how the ‘locker room’ will react to NFL prospect Michael Sam’s announcement that he’s gay, it’s easy to forget that he has to get drafted first…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
February 6, 2014
theGRIO REPORT – Ebony Nettles-Bey is a junior forward for the Verona High School girl’s basketball team in Verona, Wisconsin. Last summer, Nettles-Bey was diagnosed with stage four Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
February 3, 2014
theGRIO SLIDESHOW – Russell Wilson’s Seahawks dominated Peyton Manning’s Broncos and never trailed in Super Bowl XLVIII. With his victory, Wilson also became just the second African-American to win a Super Bowl as starting quarterback…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
January 31, 2014
theGRIO SLIDESHOW – The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos were the NFL’s top teams from their respective conferences. It’s fitting that the Broncos’ top-ranked offense will face the Seahawks’ top-ranked defense to determine who is truly the ‘Champs.’…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
January 22, 2014
theGRIO REPORT – A child psychiatrist said it was her professional opinion that George Stinney Jr.’s alleged confession was “coerced, compliant false” confession…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
January 21, 2014
theGRIO REPORT – A hearing to determine whether or not an executed teen deserves a new trial ended without a ruling, Tuesday. Nearly 70 years ago, George Stinney Jr. was executed in South Carolina after he was convicted of murdering two young girls using a railroad spike…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
December 16, 2013
theGRIO VIDEO – A hearing date has reportedly been set in the push to ‘reopen’ the case of the youngest person executed in the twentieth century…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
December 5, 2013
theGRIO VIDEO – Wilford ‘Johnny’ Hunter tells theGrio.com’s Todd Johnson he was serving time for car theft in a South Carolina jail when he met Stinney for the first time…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
November 22, 2013
theGRIO VIDEO – Abraham Bolden didn’t spend long protecting President John F. Kennedy as a Secret Service agent, but Kennedy’s impact on his life has lasted a lifetime…
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.
November 22, 2013
theGRIO VIDEO – For Abraham Bolden, protecting President John F. Kennedy in 1961 was a “miracle,” for someone who grew up poor in East St. Louis…