John Harold Johnson was the first black American to appear on the Forbes 400 list. He was the founder of the Johnson Publishing Company which published The Negro Digest, Ebony and Jet Magazines. —John Harold Johnson was born on January 19, 1918. He was an American-African businessman, philanthropist, and publisher. John Harold Johnson was born in Arkansas City, Arkansas and started his education in a segregated elementary school. Because there was no public high school for blacks in Arkansas City in 1930s, his widowed mother had a plan. She saved money for two years and moved with her son to Chicago as part of the Great Migration of 1933. Johnson endured much teasing and taunting at his high school for his ragged clothes and country ways, as he encountered something he never knew existed: middle-class blacks. At DuSable High School some of his classmates included Nat King Cole, Redd Foxx and future entrepreneur William Abernathy. This only fueled his already formidable determination to "make something of himself". Johnson's high school career was distinguished by the leadership qualities he demonstrated as student council president and as editor of the school newspaper and class yearbook. He attended high school during the day and studied self-improvement books at night. After he graduated in 1936, he was offered a tuition scholarship to the University of Chicago, but he thought he would have to decline it, because he could not figure out a way to pay for expenses other than tuition. Because of his achievements in high school, Johnson was invited to speak at a dinner held by the Urban League. When Harry Pace, the president of the Supreme Life Insurance Company, heard Johnson's speech, he was so impressed with the young man that he offered Johnson a job so that he would be able to use the scholarship. He later landed a job with Supreme Liberty Life Insurance Company where he collected news and information about African Americans and preparing a weekly digest. It was there that he got the idea for starting his first magazine, Negro Digest, in 1942. Three years later, Johnson launched his second publication, Ebony, highlighting the successes of African Americans. Six years after that, he created Jet, focusing on African Americans in politics, entertainment, business, and sports. Johnson added book publishing, Fashion Fair Cosmetics, several radio stations, and majority ownership in Supreme Liberty Life Insurance. In 1982, he was the first African American to be included in Forbes Magazine’s 400 Richest Americans. Johnson's 1989 autobiography, "Succeeding Against The Odds," was a national bestseller in hardcover and paperback, and an updated version was published in 2004. Johnson held five honorary degrees from major universities, including Howard, Morehouse, and Harvard. Recently Johnson donated $4 million in support of the School of Communications at Howard University. His gift continues a legacy of visionary leadership in the field of communications, particularly the mass media industry. Johnson Publications has revenues in excess of $140 million. Publisher also of EM, Johnson also sponsored the American Black Achievement Awards television program and the Ebony Fashion Fair a touring fashion show now in its 38th year. He attributed much of his success to his mother, who believed that if you try hard enough, there is always a chance you can win. John H. Johnson died on August 8, 2005.
