BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : JOHN HAROLD JOHNSON BUSINESS MAN AND PUBLISHER : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

John Harold Johnson born January 19th 1918 and died on August 8th 2005 was an African American Business Man and a Publisher. He was the founder of The Johnson Publishing Company. In 1982 he became the first African American to appear on the Forbes 400. Johnson was born in rural Arkansas City, Arkansas, the grandson of slaves. When he was eight years old his father died in an accident in a sawmill and Johnson was raised by hi mother and step father. He attended an over crowed  segregated elementary school. Such was his love of learning he repeated the eight grade rather than discontinue his education as their was no public high school for African American in his community. After a visit to the Chicago World Fair they decided that opportunities in the North were more plentiful than the South. Facing poverty in every sides in Arkansas during the Great Depression, the family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1933 to try and to find find work and for Johnson to continue his education.

Johnson entered an all-black Dun-Sable High School which is mother and step father look for work in the city. They had no luck and had to stay on welfare benefits for two years. Eventually Johnson step father got a job with the Works Progress Administration. Johnson him self secure a job with the National Youth Administration. Johnson endured much teasing and taunting at his high school for his ragged clothes and country ways. At Du-Sable High School his class mates included Nat King Cole, Redd Foxx and Entrepreneur William Abernathy. This only strength his determination to make some thing of him self.