John H. Johnson, founder of Ebony and Jet magazine, was honored with a stamp by the United States Postal Service on January 31, 2012. He is the 35th honoree of the Black Heritage Collection. Other inductees include Barbara Jordan, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Thurgood Marshall. It was once rumored that the USPS was going to end the Black Heritage Collection. The company disputed the rumor immediately.
The stamp was unveiled at Johnson Publishing headquarters this week. The company was started in 1945 with a $500 loan from his mother. His first publication was The Negro Digest, modeled after The Reader's Digest. After starting his company, Johnson became the first African American man to own a building on Michigan Avenue (Chicago). Johnson also served as a counselor to presidents John. F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter.
In 1955, Johnson published the photos of Emmit Till. Till was a 14 year old boy killed for allegedly whistling at a white woman. His body was unidentifiable. His mother was able to identify him by a ring that was on his finger. Johnson published the pictures to prove a point about brutality and racism in America.
John H. Johnson died on August 5, 2008 due to congested heart failure. His daughter, Lisa Johnson Rice, is now the chair of the company. There are plans for the company to expand.
