[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 20755-20756]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF JOHN H. JOHNSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, like my colleague, the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Davis), I rise tonight to salute an extraordinary 
and gifted American.
  John H. Johnson had a vision and used that vision to destroy negative 
racial stereotypes and to expand opportunities for all African 
Americans and for all Americans. With a dream and a $500 loan, secured 
by his mother's furniture, Mr. Johnson began publishing the ``Negro 
Digest'' in 1942. With very limited resources and his dream, he built 
an empire that included publishing and cosmetics.
  Through his work and his vision, he has made a lasting contribution. 
``Jet'' and ``Ebony'' provided a window to the African American 
community that benefited African Americans and all Americans. ``Ebony'' 
and ``Jet'' became part of the dialogue. It was a way of communicating. 
We read it in our homes, schools, and in the barber shops and beauty 
shops.
  There is a saying in the African American community: ``If it is in 
`Jet,' it must be true.'' In the pages of ``Jet'' magazine, we read the 
current news that had an impact on the African American community. In 
the pages of ``Ebony,'' people saw how other people lived; and we 
aspired to be like the people we saw on those pages. The pages of his 
magazine inspired and motivated generations of African Americans. It 
also helped to break down racial stereotypes by offering positive 
images and stories of African American men and women.
  In 1957 and in 1959, he accompanied Vice President Richard M. Nixon 
on a special goodwill tour to nine African countries and to Russia and 
Poland. In 1961, he was appointed by President John F. Kennedy as 
Special U.S. Ambassador to the Independence Ceremonies of the Ivory 
Coast. And in 1963, he was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson as 
Special United States Ambassador to the Independence Ceremonies of 
Kenya. In 1996, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by 
President Bill Clinton.
  Johnson was solid, dependable, and reliable. He helped to energize 
the African American community during the height of the civil rights 
movement. During the struggle for equality, he published the images of 
the murder of Emmett Till, which galvanized the civil rights movement. 
His magazines have been an anchor for African Americans and continue to 
do that today.
  His contribution to the African American community and to American 
life was unique and significant, and tonight we all salute the memory 
of John Johnson.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay homage to John H. 
Johnson, who left this Earth on August 8, 2005 after a lengthy illness. 
I again extend my sincerest condolences to his family.
  For my colleagues who may not be familiar with his legacy, John H. 
Johnson was a publishing icon--a true legend--who exemplified the power 
of faith, perseverance and entrepreneurial spirit. He was an 
extraordinary businessman whose life was like a giant tree that had 
grown from a small seed--one step and one season at a time.
  His journey began on January 19, 1918, when he was born in Arkansas 
City, Arkansas. Although his father died in a sawmill accident when 
John was only eight years old, his mother worked diligently to move her 
family to Chicago and to give them a better life.
  As a result of his mother's sacrifice and his unwavering faith, his 
dreams knew no boundaries. Consequently, in 1936 during the era of Jim 
Crow, with the mere vision of formulating a national magazine geared 
toward the empowerment of African-Americans and a $500 loan from his 
mother, Johnson did what many would deem impossible. He formed the now 
successful Johnson Publishing Company, Inc., which later published two 
of the nation's top African-American magazines, Ebony and Jet. Not only 
have these magazines served as the beginning of prosperous careers for 
young journalists, but they also serve to highlight positive 
accomplishments and achievements in the African-American community 
often overlooked in the mainstream media.
  For Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, Ebony was the light that 
inspired him through the stormy days of apartheid. To Newsweek's 
contributing editor, Mr. Ellis Cose, the Chicago skyscraper that houses 
Mr. Johnson's company symbolizes just how high black entrepreneurship 
can reach. And for Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, both Jet 
and Ebony help us better serve our constituents by providing invaluable 
information on how our work in Washington affects their lives.
  In addition to his publishing empire, John Johnson's phenomenal 
entrepreneurial skills coupled with his tenacity led him to 
successfully venture into cosmetics, television production, as well as 
the fashion industry. Needless to say, Mr. Johnson realized almost 70 
years ago, that entrepreneurship can provide a path to achievement and 
wealth for Americans willing to invest in their own vision and 
abilities.
  Besides his $500 million enterprise, some of his more well-known 
accolades include, appearing as the first African-American on the 
Forbes list of the 400 wealthiest Americans in 1982, receiving the 
Black Journalists' Lifetime Award in 1987 and the Wall Street Journal/
Dow Jones Entrepreneurial Excellence Award in 1993, as well as the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Clinton in 1996, the 
highest honor the nation can bestow on a citizen.
  Furthermore, in 2003, the John H. Johnson School of Communications 
was established in his honor, while the John H. Johnson Delta Cultural 
and Entrepreneurial Learning Center in Arkansas City was dedicated to 
him in 2005. These are fitting honors to a man who dedicated his life 
to breaking barriers and to being a hallmark of excellence.
  Mr. Speaker, again it is both an honor and a privilege to stand 
before you to give tribute to a man who dedicated his life's work to 
ensuring that African-Americans were uplifted. As a result he helped to 
uplift our nation.
  I would like to close with a quote from his autobiography, Succeeding 
Against the Odds, ``I believe that the only failure is failing to try . 
. . and if my life has meaning . . . it is because millions of 
Americans, Black and White, have proved through me that the Dream is 
still alive and well and working in America.''

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  Mr. Speaker, John Johnson's life encapsulated the American dream--his 
works while on Earth ensure that the Dream remains an attainable 
reality. May he rest in peace.

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