Brea Johnson is an archivist at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. She works primarily with collections while providing reference services to the curation team. She works with TMS, archives spaces, and other Smithsonian databases. At her previous institution, she was the senior manuscript/oral history librarian at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University. While working at Howard University, she worked with documents within the African Diaspora and provided reference appointments/services to patrons and researchers. She worked with the US Naval Academy on a temporary exhibition of Wesley A. Brown, the first Black graduate of the Naval Academy.
Ms. Johnson obtained her Master of Arts in History, with a minor in Public History, from North Carolina Central University in May 2020. She has actively and effectively applied this degree in various archival career fields — implementing best archival procedures and demonstrating vast knowledge of library and archival theories and practices alongside the educational field. She served as a 5th-grade ELA teacher. She has worked with a diverse group of children while creating an inclusive and fun environment for students.