Both have since reconsidered. Johnson also owns 19 percent of the stock in
Essence magazine and runs its subscription advertisements in
Ebony. In his other career he rose from part-time office boy to chairman and chief executive officer of Supreme Life Insurance Company. Johnson has been instrumental in getting major white corporations to advertise in black media and to use black models in their advertising layouts. There were no major black models before
Ebony began. Johnson has experimented with a book club and a travel club and has considered French and Spanish international editions of
Ebony.
His wife, Eunice Walker Johnson, is secretary-treasurer and director of Ebony Fashion Fair. Her background includes interior decoration, journalism, and social work. President Richard Nixon appointed her a special ambassador to the 1972 Liberian presidential inauguration. The Johnsons' daughter, Linda (Mrs. S. Andre Rice), who holds an M.B.A. degree from Northwestern University, is vice-president and assistant to the publisher. After determining she had the emotional and intuitive instincts for the job, Johnson created a training program. She sits in on all decision-making meetings and receives copies of important correspondence with his replies, and her opinion is sought in planning.
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