John H. Johnson

John Harold Johnson ( born January 19, 1918 in Arkansas City, Arkansas; † August 8, 2005 in Chicago ) was a black American journalist and founder of the magazine Ebony.

Life

Johnson, grandson of a slave, was born in 1918 in Arkansas. He early became an orphan because his father Leroy, a worker in a mill, was killed in a work accident. His mother Gertrude Jenkins later married a colleague of his father.

He attended a separate school for blacks and whites to 8th grade. After a visit to the World's Fair in Chicago in 1933, he moved with his mother to Chicago about. His stepfather followed you later. The family lived on welfare and of what earned his stepfather in a public works program.

Johnson managed to get accepted to a black high school and later became class president and editor of the school newspaper. In 1936 he graduated and spoke at the closing ceremony. Harry Pace, president of a large life insurance company, was very impressed by the young Johnson; he offered him a job and the possibility of studying at the University of Chicago. Johnson grabbed and studied first in Chicago and later at the " Northwestern ". He became editor of Pace ' internal company newsletter.

1942 Johnson had long been permanent employees of Supreme Life and he launched his own career. He borrowed from his mother 500 USD and asked another 20,000 black customers of Supreme Life on, give it 2 USD to build a still konzipierendes magazine. In fact, 3,000 customers have lent him every 2 USD and it was able to publish his first " Negro Digest", much like a Reader 's Digest in June 1942.

Johnson managed to increase the circulation to 50,000 within a year. Based on this question, the magazine Ebony developed. In addition, he was editor of another "black" magazines like Jet ( 1951) and Fashion Fair Cosmetics ( 1973) and many other magazines and books. He was a media entrepreneur with own radio and TV stations.

John H. Johnson became the richest and most influential "black" Businessman of the United States. In 1982, he was the first " African-American " in the list of 400 richest Americans.

In 1941 he married Eunice Walker. From this marriage two children were born. His daughter, Linda Johnson Rice is now CEO of Johnson Publishing. His son, John Harold Johnson Jr. died in 1981 from an illness at age 25.