Exhibit featuring pieces of AAHMSNJ's 3,000-piece collection of Johnson Publications

At AAHMSNJ | Atlantic City

2200 Fairmount Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ 08401

FREE. Donations are encouraged.

The African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey (AAHMSNJ) will explore the publishing empire of John H. Johnson through an exhibit showcasing its collection of over 3,000 issues of his publications. The exhibit will be on display from October 1 to December 30 at the museum in the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University( 2200 Fairmount Avenue in Atlantic City). 

In 1942, using his mother’s furniture as collateral, he negotiated a $500 loan that launched the Negro Digest Publishing Company. The company’s first publication, Negro Digest, was followed by Ebony Magazine in 1945. Tan Confessions, JET magazine, Hue, and Copper Romance, Ebony Man, Ebony South Africa, African American Stars and Ebony Jr. followed. The publishing conglomerate, which became Johnson Publishing Company, expanded to radio, television and other forms of media and products focused on African American consumers.

Johnson’s own inspiring biography is an example of the kind of stories that were explored within the glossy pages of his popular magazines.

This exhibit is sponsored by