---

RBANE Magazine is central Arkansas' leading African American lifestyle publication that honors its Black culture and identity. We use our print and digital platforms to showcase the infinite treasures within Black Arkansas. We also use it to celebrate our unsung heroes and leaders that shaped and are shaping the next generation of this great state.

Our mission is to ignite conversations, show our culture's successes, show how we are thriving, refute stereotypes, promote empowerment, and induce overwhelming pride in just how dope we are! It's our honor to uphold and reaffirm the respect, dignity, and existence of all Black people in Arkansas.

---

ur·bane \ər-ˈbān\: adj. notably polite or polished in manner

For the month of November,
URBANE Magazine celebrates the legacy of the
​20th century’s leading publisher of Black news magazines

John Harold Johnson was a publisher, philanthropist, businessman, and entrepreneur and is a native of Arkansas City, Arkansas. He is the creator of the Johnson Publishing Company, one of the largest Black-owned businesses in the United States. It produced Black magazines that focused on the accomplishments of Black Americans and helped change and share the Black perspective with the nation.

The publishing empire includes Negro Digest (later renamed Black World), Tan magazine, Ebony magazine, and Jet magazine. He eventually combined publishing, cosmetics, and insurance under it, as well. As a voice for Black people and culture, Johnson eventually participated in the civil rights movement. One of his more radical publishing decisions was including the iconic photo of Emmett Till’s remains in a 1955 issue of Jet Magazine. This was unheard of in mainstream publishing during this time, but Johnson felt it necessary to combat the nation’s genuine- and selective ignorance.

Johnson supported Black civil rights activists, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jesse Jackson. He served as a U.S. Ambassador for former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He accompanied former Vice President Richard Nixon to Africa and Europe in 1957 and 1959. He was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996 by President Bill Clinton for his years of effort.

John H. Johnson is the first African American to appear on Forbes’ List of wealthiest Americans. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. He died on August 8, 2005, in Chicago, Illinois. The Arkansas General Assembly officially designated November 1 as John H. Johnson Day in 2019.

Thank you for the foundation that you laid, Mr. Johnson! URBANE is standing on your shoulders.

Johnson's Story

JHJ Day Celebration Photos