Micah Johnson, assistant professor in the USF Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, published his debut children's book, "Never Had a Friend", in late 2020. It follows a lonely child who wishes for a friend, loses his home and is faced with heartbreaking hardships and adversities.
Modeled after Johnson's own experiences as a child, he says the book is a community outreach effort to empower parents, service providers and others with a means to have difficult conversations with children about prejudice, homelessness, poverty and more. Upon its release, "Never Had a Friend" reached #1 in Amazon's homelessness and poverty category.