He dreamed the impossible dream, not only for himself, but for his race.
When other publications refused to share African-American stories, John H. Johnson did it himself by founding EBONY. It became more than a magazine; it was a movement. Mr. Johnson knew where he came from; he never forgot and damn sure always knew where he was headed. The poor boy from Arkansas raised by a single mother let nothing stand in his way because failure was never an option. He succeeded against the odds, becoming the first Black to appear on Forbes' "400 Richest Americans List." The publishing giant was also compassionate. He provided a married father of two small children with his first job when the young man came to Chicago "penniless, unemployed and unknown"; however, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. received more than a job at Johnson Publishing Company. The man he affectionately called "Godfather" planted the seed for him to become a world leader
