BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In OUR History

Hugh Gaddy · Monday, January 18th 2010 at 5:35PM · 95 views

John H. Johnson

John Harold Johnson, Founder Of The Johnson Publishing Company, Was Born January 19, 1918, In Arkansas City, Arkansas. Johnson's Family Moved To Chicago During The 1930s And Where He Attended DuSable High School, The University Of Chicago (On A Scholarship), And Later, Northwestern University. While Working For The Black-Owned, Supreme Liberty Insurance Company, Johnson Created A Business Newsletter Which Spawned The Idea For His First Publication, The Negro Digest, In 1942. Two Publications, EBONY And JET Magazines, Became Staples Of The Johnson Publishing Company. With The Addition Of Fashion Fair Cosmetics And EBONY Fashion Fair, Johnson Publishing Would Later Become An International Media And Cosmetics Enterprise, And The Largest African American Owned Media Publishing Company In The World. And In 1982 John Johnson Became The First African American To Appear On The Forbes 400. Howard University Renamed Their School of Communications After Johnson And Awarded Him An Honoris Causa Doctor Of Humane Letters -- One Of More Than 30 Honorary Doctoral Degrees He Received From Institutions Across The Country. In November 2005, A Portion Of Chicago�s Famed Michigan Avenue Was Renamed John H. Johnson Avenue. Johnson Was Also The Recipient Of Numerous Awards That Spanned Decades -- From The NAACP Spingarn Medal To The Most Outstanding Black Publisher In History Award From The National Newspaper Publishers Association. Johnson Publishing Has Also Been Named The Number One Black Business By Black Enterprise Four Times. In 1996, President Bill Clinton Awarded Johnson The Presidential Medal of Freedom, The Nation's Highest Civilian Honor. He Served As A Board Member Or Trustee Of Numerous Businesses And Philanthropic And Cultural Organizations. Johnson Died August 8, 2005 at the age of 87. "In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.

Hugh Gaddy

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BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In OUR History

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