We all deserve spaces that reflect, support, challenge, affirm, and celebrate who we are and all that we are capable of becoming.
- Quo Johnson
“A talented and gifted speaker, practitioner, and healer, Quo is a true leader in the field. As the Opera industry continues to redefine itself in the 21st century, Quo is the guiding light we all should have at the helm of our ships.”
- Afton Battle, BGM Consulting and Lyric Opera of Chicago
Quodesia “Quo” Johnson is a dynamic speaker, space facilitator, collaborator, equity specialist, and creative recognized nationally in arts and culture for her unique approach to fostering collaboration, creativity, and belonging. The collaborative consultant combines her background in the performing and visual arts, business, teaching artistry, and trauma-informed healing methods to cultivate unique experiences that center truth and connection to dismantle systems of oppression.
Strengthening shared belonging in organizations and communities through transformational, human-centered experiences.
EDIA, Belonging, & Justice Evaluation & Assessment
Healing & Dialogue Circles
EDIA, Belonging & Justice Coaching
Speaker and Moderator
Team Building & Learning Facilitation
SEL & EDIA Arts Integration Programming
Engagements, News, & Articles
#EquityWithQuo
Medium | February 2024 “A Letter to Black People in Opera”
Visible Magazine | January 2024: “Why Racial Healing Is A Must For Everyone”
Medium | January 2024: “What New Orleans Opera’s Announcement Represents and Why the Field is Responding”
New Thinking Magazine | July 2023: “Equity: A Journey Through Time and Space”
Bishop Arts Theatre Center Rx Racial Healing Circle™
Bishop Arts Theatre Center
Bishop Arts Theatre Center and Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation partner to bring a second Rx Racial Healing Circle™ to Dallas. Join in healing community as Quodesia D. Johnson and Diane Hosey cofacilitate this powerful healing experience designed to eradicate the belief in racial human hierarchy through storytelling and shared experiences. Created by Dr. Gail Christopher, this conversation-based methodology provides opportunity for people of all racial and ethnic identities to honor our humanity by connecting with others, deepening relationships, and restoring to wholeness.
Dallas, TX | April 29, 2024
Public Voices Fellowship | The OpEd Project
Quodesia D. Johnson is one of 20 Dallas-based thought leaders who will participate in the 2023 Cohort of the Dallas Public Voices Fellowship. The intensive three-month fellowship will provide twenty of the city’s most promising women thought leaders with extraordinary support, journalist coaches, leadership skills, and knowledge to ensure their ideas shape their fields and the greater public conversations of our age.
The OpEd Project’s Public Voices Fellowship is part of a prestigious national initiative to change who writes history. Partners include Yale, Dartmouth, Northwestern, The Ford Foundation, and more.
June 2023 - May 2024
Fort Worth Report | April 14, 2023
Article by Marcheta Fornoff
Oxford Press | Febraury 2023
Chapter by Antonio C. Cuyler from Voices for Change in the Classical Music Profession
OPERA Magazine | Winter 2023 Issue
Article by Naveen Kumar
New Orleans Opera | November 2022
Program by Teniqua Broughton, Luis “Weezy Errugola, and Adam Benavides
Arizona Opera | July 2022
OPERA Magazine | Spring 2022 Issue
Article by Quodesia D. Johnson
Projects & Collaborations
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Black Administrators of Opera
Quo is the founder and space moderator of the Black Administrators of Opera, a powerful community dedicated to the professional development, healing, advocacy, advancement, and collaboration of opera administrators who identify as members of the African diaspora working toward greater equity in the opera field.
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Racial Justice Opera Forum
Quo made history as the designer, curator, and facilitator of the nation’s first Racial Justice Opera Forum in 2022. Join the opera community online for the third, annual RJON Forum welcomes participants for intentional days of learning, healing, community, and action toward a more racially just opera field.
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TDO Connections™
Explore the richness of opera and its many reflections of humanity through TDO Connections™ - The Dallas Opera’s intentional process of learning and engaging audiences through human-centered, operatic storytelling designed by equity specialist and healing practitioner, Quodesia D. Johnson.
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Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation
Quo serves as a racial equity coach and healing practitioner for Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation, guiding Dallas-based organizations seeking to collectively create a more radically inclusive Dallas. Organizations include Broadway Dallas, Union Coffee, and Big Thought.
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Taking the Stage with Kristian and Quo™
Quo took the opera world on a journey like none before as the creator, content curator, and co-host of Taking the Stage with Kristian and Quo™ - providing opportunities to dig deep through conversations at the intersections of equity, inclusion, the arts, business, health, justice, and more.
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EDI & SEL Arts Integration
Quo serves as the EDI & SEL consultant for Junior Players. She combines her EDI specialist, facilitator, healing practitioner, and artist skills to develop curricula and experiences that support young minds in becoming courageous, confident, and collaborative individuals.
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2023 Opera Conference
Building upon an unforgettable opening and closing of the 2022 OPERA Conference, Quo Johnson returns as OPERA America social justice advisor, panelist, healing practitioner, and moderator for the 2023 OPERA America Conference.
