John Harold Johnson (1918-2005)

John Harold Johnson was born in Arkansas City, January 19, 1918. In 1933, he moved with his parents to Chicago where he worked at the Supreme Liberty Life Insurance Company. As editor of the company’s newspaper he saw a gap in the market for black-oriented media. In 1942, using his mother’s furniture as collateral for a loan, Johnson began publishing Negro Digest magazine. He then founded Johnson Publishing Company and in 1945 he launched Ebony magazine, followed in 1951 by Jet magazine. They became the two most successful African American magazines in history. Johnson served as a special U.S. ambassador for presidents Kennedy and Johnson and Bill Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Johnson died in 2005. Earlier this year the United States Post Office honored Johnson with a Black Heritage Month stamp. I’m John Kirk of the UALR History Department and this has been an Arkansas moment.