John H. Johnson was a grandson of slaves who grew up in an impoverished household in Arkansas, lived on welfare and attended a segregated school. He started his business with $500 that he borrowed and proceeded to build the nation’s most successful black publishing empire. The visionary publisher who became one of the richest and most influential African-American businessmen in the United States grew up in an era of Jim Crow segregation that offered very limited opportunities for African Americans, particularly people at the bottom of the socio-economic scale. We must remember that it was an era of lynching and a time when there was no equal treatment under the law for black people. Not surprisingly, given this social climate, there were few successful black business ventures.
Despite Johnson’s extraordinary, pioneering career in journalism and business and his achievement of great wealth, his road to success was not easy. Ebony and Jet eventually became solid successes and helped to pave the way for a new generation of black magazines, from Essence to Black Enterprise, but that success came despite huge odds and with many failed ventures.
To his great credit, Johnson understood the wide range of concerns and interests of the African-American community at that time. Johnson’s legacy has enduring value for aspiring entrepreneurs in the African-American community. He saw a need for black publications that were truly national in reach and scope in a way that was not being delivered by the black newspapers of that time. Howard University journalism chair, Phillip Dixon, rightly said, “He knew what his magazines were supposed to be and who the magazine was supposed to be for. It was clear to him that there was a hunger among African Americans to see ourselves as whole people – not caricatures, not stereotypes.” That vision is instructive today for media generated for the African-American community. The need for celebration and affirmation of the community continues.
Johnson countered stereotypical coverage of African Americans after World II and persuaded corporate advertisers that it was productive to reach out to African Americans in a positive way. Johnson always emphasized the importance of creating value and providing quality and service with any product. He understood that African Americans yearned to see success stories in the African-American community. As columnist Dawn Turner Trice reminds us, we should not forget Johnson’s mantra – “a person’s self-image would determine how he views his possibilities.”
John H. Johnson was a pioneering, visionary entrepreneur. He took a good idea and mustered the hard work and perseverance to accomplish his goal. That business model is still relevant today.