Johnson is one of the few Black women leading the nation's 1,600 orchestras. But, she said getting to the top didn't come without its hurdles.
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"The earliest obstacles were really, honestly, because I was a Black woman," said Johnson, the founder and conductor of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra. "That was very painful but very eye-opening."
Experiences like that helped Johnson realize that she has more potential than just being someone on the podium.
She realized part of her life's mission would be to change the narrative of what a leader in life looks like.
So, she gathered world-class musicians from different backgrounds to be a part of her orchestra.
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"I've always appreciated that about Jeri, that she's doing something that not a lot of women before her were able to do," said one member of the orchestra.
Johnson also served as the assistant conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and is the first Black woman to win an international conducting award, the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship.
She says her hope is that when people see her orchestra, they see a kaleidoscope of people that reflect the world around them.