John H. Johnson

Description

John Harold Johnson (January 19, 1918 – August 8, 2005) was an American entrepreneur and publisher. He is best known as the founder of the Johnson Publishing Company, which was the first African-American-owned publishing company to reach a national audience. His magazines, Jet and Ebony, highlighted African-American achievements and became a mainstay of African-American culture.

Johnson was born in Arkansas City, Arkansas to a farming family. His parents were poor, and he had to drop out of school in the eighth grade to help support his family. He moved to Chicago in 1933 and started working at a clothing store. He eventually saved up enough money to open his own store in 1942, and he also started a mail-order business.

In 1945, Johnson founded the Johnson Publishing Company, which would eventually become the largest African-American-owned publishing company in the United States. In 1951, he launched Ebony magazine, which focused on African-American lifestyle and culture. In 1956, he launched Jet magazine, which highlighted African-American achievement. Both magazines became staples in African-American households, and Johnson was able to use them to promote civil rights.

Throughout his life, Johnson was a philanthropist and a successful businessman. He was inducted into the National Business Hall of Fame in 1993 and the International Publishing Hall of Fame in 2003. He received numerous awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996. He passed away in 2005, but his legacy lives on through his company and his magazines.