The annual John H. Johnson Day -- recognizing the Arkansan who published Ebony and Jet magazines in Chicago -- will take place Nov. 1 highlighted by the unveiling of a statue at the Arkansas State Parks Delta Heritage Trail in Arkansas City.
Festivities of the day-long observance of John H. Johnson Day will include:
The 10 a.m. unveiling of the John H. Johnson statue at the John H. Johnson Museum, 604 President St., Arkansas City. Speakers include Susan Holley Williams, a native of Dumas and sculptor; Linda Johnson Rice, CEO of Johnson Publishing Company; Roy Lewis, former Johnson Publishing Company photographer; and presidential diarist Janis F. Kearney. Johnson Rice and Lewis will discuss the legacy of John H. Johnson and the role of Black media in keeping Black history alive and thriving.
Cooking With Soul Chef Jarita Frazier-King of Soul Food Natchez, and as seen on Hulu's "Searching For Soul Food," will lead a hands-on cooking demonstration that celebrates the history and culture of Black food traditions during the 1900s when John H. Johnson was a child in Arkansas City.
The daylong celebration will also include Mississippi Valley State University demonstrating jug band and period music with a musical petting zoo; a presentation on the architecture and history of John H. Johnson Museum; and presentations by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Arkansas State University, among others.
John H. Johnson Day awards will be presented to U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill,. who is originally from Ashley County and who used to be a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and the Chicago City Council; Larry Clark, who runs Life Skills for Youth, an after-school academy in Southwest Little Rock, in the category of humanitarian; Roy Lewis, a photo-journalist, in the category of media and journalism; and Michele Ghee, a former CEO of Ebony magazine, in the category of business and entrepreneurship.
Admission to John H. Johnson Day is free and open to the public. With the exception of food sold by food trucks, all events and activities will be admission-free and held in Arkansas City at the John H. Johnson Museum, Arkansas State Parks Delta Heritage Trail Robert S. Moore Jr. Trailhead, and the Desha County historic district and lawn. Events following the 10 a.m. unveiling will be held at the Desha County Courthouse Grounds from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Johnson died at age 87 in 2005.