As we approach the Juneteenth holiday on June 19, MassLive asked readers and staff to identify people who are emerging Black leaders throughout the state, working to make a difference in their own area of interest, be it politics, education, business or the arts.
These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change.
Each day, we will introduce more leaders, and we’re always open to hear about more inspiring people. If you’d like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form.
Darrius Johnson of Visionary Acts, LLC.
Darrius Johnson
Age: 28
Community: Springfield
His story: Darrius Johnson is the founder of Visionary Acts, LLC, a multimedia production company thats goal is to “elevate the visual representation of the city of Springfield with our local entrepreneurs and small business owners.”
Visionary Acts offers a range of services, including audio and music production, photography, apparel, and event hosting but specializes in videography and graphic design.
His clients have ranged anywhere from Dewey’s Jazz Lounge — where Visionary Acts provided photography and videography for the jazz lounge’s events — to traveling with Justin Haynes, the creator of fashion brand Jus10h, providing photography and other media work. He has also worked with the Springfield Health Department, New York rapper Fabolous, and rapper Dave East, among others.
Visionary Acts also created a upscale dining experience called D’Lux for Springfield residents and entrepreneurs to network.
Johnson told MassLive he has always been creative and especially loved drawing as a child. Visionary Acts is an “elevated version” of the music and video production company he created with his brother as a teenager in 2011, which he has since expanded into other multimedia offerings.
“I’m always going to have a base here (in Springfield). I’m going to travel out but I always want to make sure that I’m able to bring more to the city because the city invested into me,” Johnson said. “So I want to be able to invest back and make sure that they they didn’t only invest into someone to leave but they invested in someone who’s going to be willing to give back to the next generation.”
In his words: “We’re lifting the negative blanket over the city and revealing the beauty it has to offer! If there’s an experience I want to see, I’ll make sure to get it done!”
