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A statue honoring influential African American magazine publisher John H. Johnson was unveiled Nov. 1 at Delta Heritage Trail State Park in Arkansas City.
Johnson, who published Ebony and Jet magazines, was born in Arkansas City, Arkansas in 1918. He died in 2005.
Johnson and his family left Arkansas in 1932 and moved to Chicago. There, he was introduced to the publishing business, and in 1945, the first issue of Ebony rolled off the presses. Six years later, Johnson began publishing Jet.
During the 2019 session of the Arkansas General Assembly, legislators voted to make Nov. 1 “John H. Johnson Day” in Arkansas to honor the accomplishments of the publisher and businessman.
Linda Johnson Rice, Johnson’s daughter and president and CEO of Johnson Publishing, attended the unveiling of her father’s statue and said his humble beginnings, which included picking cotton in the Arkansas Delta, gave him the foundation to have an impact on how African American were viewed in the U.S.
Johnson Rice’s daughter, Alexa Rice, also attended the unveiling event.
“By publishing Ebony and Jet, my father was able to show black people and their way of life with a sense of purpose and pride,” Johnson Rice said. “Through his work, he showed that black people are to be valued and respected.”
Arkansas sculptor Susan Holley Smith, who grew up in Dumas, 20 miles from Johnson’s home, was selected by Arkansas State Parks and the Walton Family Foundation to sculpt the statue for the state park.
“It was a challenging, nine-month undertaking because the statue can’t just look like Mr. Johnson, but it also has to capture his essence,” Smith said.
Shea Lewis, secretary of the state Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism, said Arkansas State Parks is honored to showcase the John H. Johnson statue at Delta Heritage Trail State Park.
“Thousands of guests and visitors visit Delta Heritage Trail State Park every year to enjoy the recreational opportunities in the Delta,” Lewis said in a news release. “In doing so, they can enjoy learning more about the impactful life of Mr. Johnson, who shared our vision of improving quality of life.”
The statue will be maintained by Arkansas State Parks.