← The Headstones & Microphones Podcast: Founder Stories
Listen to this episodeAll The Headstones & Microphones Podcast: Founder Stories episodes →
John H. Johnson [Ebony and Jet]
The Headstones & Microphones Podcast: Founder Stories · 2026-05-31 · 12 min
Episode notes
John H. Johnson founded Johnson Publishing Company in 1942 by mortgaging his mother’s furniture for a $500 loan, ultimately building an influential media empire anchored by Ebony and Jet magazines that gave voice to the Black American experience.