The State of Arkansas Annual John H. Johnson Day will celebrate the memorial holiday in Arkansas City November 1, 2024.
Hosted by the Friends of John H. Johnson Museum, John H. Johnson Day: A Celebration of Culture and History, daylong event honoring the life and legacy of John H. Johnson (1918-2005), Arkansas City’s native son and legendary publisher of Ebony, Jet, and Negro Digest magazines.
This annual celebration will take place on Friday, November 1, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the John H. Johnson Cultural and Educational Museum located at 604 President Street, Arkansas City, Arkansas, which is the location of Johnson’s restored childhood home.
While honoring Johnson, a prominent figure in African American media and business history, the celebration will also bring together citizens from across the state, alongside dignitaries, community organizers, businesspeople, and artists, to showcase their profound impact on business, arts, and culture throughout Arkansas.
Event programming for the day includes:
• Film Screenings: – The Great Flood (2014), directed by Bill Morrison, features archival footage of the 1927 Mississippi Flood, which deeply impacted Johnson, his family, and several communities throughout the Arkansas Delta and beyond.
– The Barber of Little Rock (2024), a short film by John Hoffman and Christine Turner, follows Arlo Washington, a Black entrepreneur in Little Rock, Arkansas, and serves as an example of the entrepreneurial spirit that Johnson inspired. The Barber of Little Rock was produced by The New Yorker magazine and nominated for an Oscar at 96th Academy Awards earlier this year.
• Business Pitch Competition: Hosted by ReMix Ideas, a small business organization that empowers Black entrepreneurs to create jobs and economic mobility within their communities.
• Architecture Presentation: Faculty from Mississippi State University will present their study of the museum’s vernacular architecture.
• Literary and Cultural Presentations: Featured authors include Dr. David Montague, Maria Hoskins, Jacinda Jones, Carole Boston Weatherford, poet Na’Tosha De‘Von, and storyteller Helen Sims.
• Heritage Arts and Music: Arkansas Department of Heritage will share Black Arkansas quilt makers.
Music educator Dr. Dena Jennings will demonstrate a traditions and transformative program on Affrolachian folklore music. Dr. Jennings appearance is funded in part by the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.
John H. Johnson Day will also recognize several individuals with the John H. Johnson Day Award. Recipients include:
• Arlo Washington, featured in The Barber of Little Rock and founder of People Trust Community Federal Credit Union.
• Charles Graham, gospel recording artist, author, minister and evangelist of Charles Graham Ministries, and owner of The Fountains at Dermott Bed and Breakfast.
• Benito Lubazibwa, CEO of ReMix Ideas and founder of Advancing Black Entrepreneurship (ABE).
• Trudy Moore, A former Jet magazine editor, is a current teacher at Malcolm X College in Chicago.
This free event is open to the public for a day of reflection, celebration, inspiration, and honor for one of Arkansas’ prominent figures who made an indelible contribution to culture and history.
Event Details:
Date: Friday, November 1, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: John H. Johnson Cultural and Educational Museum, 604 President Street, Arkansas City, AR
About John H. Johnson John H. Johnson, born in Arkansas City, Arkansas, founded Johnson Publishing Company and became one of the most influential African American businessmen of the 20th century.
His magazines Ebony, Jet, and Negro Digest were pioneering platforms that highlighted Black culture, achievements, and stories during a time when such representation was rare in mainstream media.
About Friends of John H. Johnson Museum Friends of John H. Johnson Museum is dedicated to preserving the life, legacy, and contributions of John H. Johnson. Friends of John H. Johnson Museum curates John H. Johnson Day and supports the John H. Johnson Museum through educational programs by sharing the historic landmark that stands as a tribute to Johnson’s humble beginnings and rise to success.
About John H. Johnson Day:
Established by Friends of John H. Johnson Museum and enacted into law April 2019 during the 92nd Arkansas General Assembly, John H. Johnson Day is a statewide memorial holiday.
