Grew, Then Sold BET. Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self? In 2001 Johnson sold BET to Viacom. Developed in partnership with GeoPhy and updated annually, the ESG Dashboard identifies and tracks company reporting of ESG key performance indicators for the U.S. REIT industry. Preaching to the poor a new gospel of love Additionally, the RLJ-AMC partnership will allow for greater investment in content from African-American creatives, Johnson emphasized. Worked for Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Washington Urban League, and as a press secretary; National Cable TV Association, vice president of government relations, 1976-79; Black Entertainment Television (BET), principal shareholder, 1980-98, founder, chairman, chief executive, 1980-; NBA Charlotte Franchise, owner, 2003-. Johnson launched C-SET (Carolinas Sports Entertainment Network), a regional sports and entertainment cable TV network, in October 2004. Added to the music videos, comedy shows, and movies, it started airing public affairs shows, town hall meetings, and a childrens literature program. The success of BET stemmed from Johnson's vision to capitalize on cable programming to an underserved African American market. May 1, 2023. Robert L. Johnson, Businessmen, and Philanthropist born After completing his studies at Princeton, Johnson worked primarily in the field of communication media. at Sloane Robinson . All of these developments didnt necessarily predict greatness, but they predicted that I had opportunities that my siblings didnt have because of the change in times, the change in race relationships, the change in racial opportunities, the change in the political climate that caused the government to address civil rights and economic rights. . We were fortunate in that we had positioned ourselves before the pandemic on making sure we purchased the right hotels and managed the right hotels that fit with our strategy of serving the leisure and business traveler customers. Memberships: Board member of Cable TV Advertising Bureau and Black College Educational Network; National Cable Television Association (NCTA), board of directors, 1982-84. Hughes, Alan, "Slam Dunk!," Black Enterprise, March 2003, pp. International Directory of Business Biographies. PDF Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the - KFF [3] He is also the founder of RLJ Companies which is a holding company that invests in various business sectors .Johnson is the former majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.His company is listed d among the most prominent African-American businesses in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries[4], Johnson was born in 1946 in French Camp, California. This aspiration includes positively impacting patients and all others who use our products, as well as the health of our employees, our communities and the planet. Johnson knew that he had to continue to expand his media ownership if he expected the BET company to grow. https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/johnson-robert-l-1946-0, Burgess, Marjorie; Zerbonia, Ralph "Johnson, Robert L. 1946 This country cant grow economically to the level that it should if its got a huge population on the sidelines. Robert L. Johnson founded Black Entertainment Television, the first cable network focusing on African Americans, with wife Sheila in 1979. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. REITs invest in the majority of real estate property types, including offices, apartment buildings, warehouses, retail centers, medical facilities, data centers, cell towers, infrastructure and hotels. Its something that many white Americans dont understand. from Princeton University. Robert Louis Johnson (born April 8, 1946) is an American entrepreneur, media magnate, executive, philanthropist, and investor. Read the story. Sheila Crump Johnson (1949- ) - Blackpast His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Johnson continued to work in the world of print as well with BET Weekend magazine, Heart & Soul magazine, and BET Arabesque Books, the only publisher of African-American romance novels. Then, in 1991, BET made history as it became the first African-American owned corporation to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Spanberg, Erik, "Taking Care of Business: Robert Johnson has a Long History of Seizing Every Opportunity to Build a Business Empire," The Business Journal, March 28, 2003, p. A4. [3] He was an honors student in high school. Every business must have people who share the goals, purpose, and culture to make it successful. The True, Disputed Story Behind Flamin Hot, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Robert L. Johnson, Birth Year: 1946, Birth date: April 8, 1946, Birth State: Mississippi, Birth City: Hickory, Birth Country: United States. Johnson became the first Black majority club owner of a major American sports league with his 2002 purchase of the Charlotte Bobcats. One of the things Im most proud of is that I have been successful in delivering three of the 14 Black CEOs to Wall Street, and two of them are female. ." His ability to do that has given rise to a number of African American executives excelling in a range of industries. The sale made him the first African American billionaire. The two basketball teams also lost money. In 2001 he separated out restaurants owned by the BET company into a new company in an attempt to revamp and remodel the style, theme, and menu of these restaurants. The sale was finalized the following year and Johnsons majority stake earned him more than $1 billion, making him the richest African American in the United States at that time as well as the first African American billionaire. If youve got a compensation committee charter and theyre paying the executives without regard to certain criteria, they will recommend to some of the big stockholders in those companies, like Fidelity or BlackRock, a no vote. Johnson graduated from Freeport High School in 1964, and studied history at the University of Illinois. With words Street Team INNW, St. Paul, The Shaw Neighborhood (Washington, DC) a story, Govan Mbeki, Activist, and Politician born, The Sun Reporter Newspaper Begins Publication, O.J. Get the latest nonprofit news, funding opportunities, job openings, and more delivered to your inbox with Philanthropy News Digest newsletters. In 2000, Viacom announced plans to purchase BET. In 2001 Johnson made an effort to become the only African American to own a major airline by becoming the owner of D.C. Air. Thomas Baltimore, Jr., chairman, president, and CEO of Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: PK) and Leslie Hale, president and CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE: RLJ), share their personal reflections on Robert Johnson as a mentor and colleague. Im asking the Treasury Department to implement a type of tax certificate program that would encourage minority ownership across all business types by saying that if a Black person creates a company and the company makes a profit, an investor can sell their shares or interest and get a reduction in their capital gains tax. He also knew that I had built a team of men and women that were prepared to continue on with RLJ. It doesnt require government legislation and it doesnt require taxpayers to go in their pocket to do it. The RLJ Companies is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. I want to be seen as a good, solid business guy who goes out and does a job, and the job is to build a business.. Soon after his birth, the family moved to Freeport, Illinois, where Johnson grew up and went to school, supported by his fathers job at the battery factory and his mothers part time occupation of switch assembly. In 2011, Our Stories released the romantic-comedy feature Jumping the Broom. Yes! [6], He married Shelia Johnson[7] in 1969 and have 2 children .They divorced in 2001 .Johnson dated Lauren Wooden, who is 33 years his junior, in 2010. In 1957, Johnson was hired as the director of the Wesley Foundation in Chapel Hill, N.C., where he served for 18 years. There are very few African American CEOs of publicly traded companies, and three of them are from his organizations. Johnson grew up in Freeport, Illinois, the ninth of 10 chil dren. [39][40] Johnson said, "As an African-American, I'm frankly insulted that the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Bill and Hillary Clinton, who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues when Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood that I won't say what he was doing, [but] he said it in his book. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 28, 2001, p. C1. Funded solely by the Johnson & Johnson . We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,.css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}contact us! Blues. So inspired by Lister's antiseptic methods, Johnson parted ways with his business partner, Seabury, and started Johnson & Johnson with his two younger brothers, Edward Mead and James Wood in 1886. Partially funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this powerful documentary provides an inside look at the affordable housing crisis. In 2010 he sold a majority stake in the Bobcats to Michael Jordan. Johnson continued to be the companys chairman and CEO for several years before leaving BET to lead the RLJ Companies. Working With Others to Build a National Culture of Health | RWJF Robert L. Johnson, MD, FAAP is The Sharon and Joseph L. Muscarelle Endowed Dean, Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. [47] They married in May 2016; Greg Mathis officiated,[48] and divorced in 2020. 1946(? Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies, LLC, which sponsored the formation of RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE: RLJ), and the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), spoke with REIT magazine in an extended interview that explores, among other topics, the origins of his success, the impetus behind his business strategy, and how corporate America needs to tackle systemic racism. The agreement called for AMC to provide RLJ with a $60 million loan on a seven-year term and $5 million on a one-year term. Although he declined to publish financial figures, Johnson noted that BET became profitable in 1987. 323 Cooper Street. In so doing, he gave people of color the opportunity to function in leadership roles. Who Is Trans TikTok Influencer Dylan Mulvaney? [3][4] His mother was a schoolteacher and his father was a farmer. Robert L. Johnson 1946 -. In 1991 BET became the first Black-controlled company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. [36], In 2007, Johnson created the Liberia Enterprise Development Fund with a $30 million investment. Although he won the bidding rights to wire cable in the Washington, D.C., area in 1984, Johnson became enmeshed in a series of lawsuits filed by competitors. Around the same time, he also worked as the director of communications for the Washington, D.C., office of the National Urban League. The same thing goes for minority-owned businessesbefore you hire a business to do something, interview at least two minority-owned business. Phone. He had jobs as a public affairs officer for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, director of communications for the Washington, D.C., office of the National Urban League, press aide to Sterling Tucker, the Washington, D.C., councilman, and press secretary to Walter E. Fauntroy, the congressional delegate from the District of Columbia. Retrieved June 29, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/economics/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/johnson-robert-l-1946. In 2007, Johnson organized a tour of African American business leaders to Liberia. Black Americans unfortunately have a wealth gap thats about 10 times less than that of white people. Soon after, Johnson founded The RLJ Companies, a holding company with a diverse portfolio including hotel real estate investment, private equity, financial services, asset management, automobile dealerships, sports and entertainment, and Video lottery terminal gaming. That programming was distributed to what they called a mass audience, and the mass of course were white consumers. Purpose: The purpose of the Diabetes Initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is to demonstrate feasible and sustainable approaches to promoting diabetes self-management in primary care and community settings. [Johnsons] a very, very gifted. Keep in mind, 70% of the U.S. economy comes out of the consumers pocket, and there are 40 million Black Americans. . The viewership began to grow, more cable companies began to broadcast the station, and by 1989 BET was able to pay back all of its investors and start on the road to profit, even though it was still the smallest network on cable. Creator of the first cable network to provide solely black programming, Johnson built his nearly $3 billion company on a format that featured black music videos and comedy as its highlight. [11] Johnson worked as a press secretary for Congressman Walter E. Racine, Wisconsin 53403-2237 For more information, please see the Foundations annual reports below: Cookie SettingsJohnson & JohnsonServices, Inc. 2022. From 1982 to 2001, Johnson was the director of Cornell University . "I had very positive dialogue with president-elect Trump". 2016, they married in May 2016. 1920s - 1930s. Henry F. Graff I hope that you will accept this apology. That will get the attention of the CEO and all the shareholders. 16 of the Best Quotes by Robert L. Johnson | Quoteikon Best Known For: Robert L. Johnson is an American entrepreneur best known as the founder of the BET channel and as the countrys first African American billionaire. May 8, 1911 in Hazlehurst, MS. Died . He began cultivating valuable political and business connections that later helped him bankroll his vision of creating a Black-owned cable television company. Johnson publicly called for African American support of Liberia, on the model of Jewish support for Israel. We want a broad audience, but we never want to forget our mandate: to give black audiences a full range of black entertainment and information, Robert L. Johnson, the founder and president of Black Entertainment Television (BET), told Christopher C. Williams in the New York Times. Turning to systemic racism and unconscious bias, how much should people of color conform to the cultures of their workplace, versus how much should their workplace conform to them? Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}The True, Disputed Story Behind Flamin Hot, The Rise and Fall of BlackBerry and Its Inventors. The real question is have you created a sense of empowerment and I think thats what weve done at BET.. BET was the first company controlled by African Americans to sell shares on the New York Stock Exchange, and Johnson was the first African American majority owner of a sports franchise. His District Cablevision Inc. was unable to provide the 125,000 homes in the neighborhood access to BET until 1988. . He builds confidence in the way he can bring actual experience to potential . AMC has received warrants to purchase at least 20 million shares or 50.1% of the company. James Weldon Johnsons boundless energy and concern for the plight of African Americans combined to produce an extrao, S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Encyclopedia.com. Additionally, Johnson emphasized that the RLJ-AMC partnership will allow for greater investment in content from Black creatives. These real estate companies have to meet a number of requirements to qualify as REITs. How you find those talented people is that you give them a belief that they have an opportunity to be as successful as they have the potential to be, in the environment that you offer them. In 1980, Johnson launched Black Entertainment Television, a full-fledged channel 1983. [12][14] When the network launched in 1980, it only aired for two hours on Friday night. She is CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts and owner of Salamander Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor. Robert Johnson VP of Sales & Marketing at Magnum Coffee Roastery . Omissions? After earning his bachelor's degree Johnson enrolled at Princeton University to study toward his goal of becoming a U.S. ambassador. Fauntroy. In 1998, Johnson and Liberty Media bought all the company's outstanding shares. Telephone: (262) 260-2000 He also used African American talent by hiring executives, producers, and on-air performers. Robert_L. S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Robert L. Johnson is the founder of BET (Black Entertainment Television) and founder of The RLJ Companies. Contemporary Black Biography. In 1996 BET broke into the premium movie industry by partnering with STARZ to create BET Movies, showing mainly African-American focused movies, both contemporary and classics. On October 30, 1991, BET Holdings became the first African American firm to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Derby, KS. Career: Cable television executive. Corrections? Other people could call it just plain, We dont want to take a risk on someone failing in our business. If youre not in the deal flow you dont get the opportunity. He is a Black entrepreneur, media magnate, executive, philanthropist, and investor. [35] Johnson released a neckwear line in coordination with PVH and The Ella Rose Collection, the RLJ Ella Rose Africa Tie Collection, in 2012 to benefit the charitable organization Malaria No More. He spent the majority of his childhood in Freeport, Illinois. The Johnson & Johnson Foundation is a registered charitable organization that reflects the commitment of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies to keeping people well at every age and every stage of life by blending heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. Get our quarterly newsletter to stay up-to-date, plus all speech or video narrative bookings near you as they happen. [16][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] Johnson has also served as a member of the board of directors for several other companies and organizations, including US Airways, Hilton Hotels, General Mills, the United Negro College Fund, and Deutsche Bank's Americas Advisory Board. Robert Johnson - YouTube Music Thats because theres a tendency to not believe in the Black workforce. Contemporary Black Biography. To me, thats why businesses should make sure that their board is represented by diverse groups. Yet Johnson does not always seek publicity for his donations for as he told the Los Angeles Times, I dont want to be seen as a hero to younger people. Being in the spotlight is fairly new to Johnson, despite a string of personal accomplishments ranging from the founding of a music conservatory in Jordan to serving as executive vice president at BET. This monthly newsletter covers research news and opportunities from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Around the same time he also worked as the director of communications for the Washington, D.C. office of the National Urban League. They married in May 2016 Greg Mathis officiated.[8]. Johnson continued to grow his empire in 1998 with BET on Jazz, BET Pictures II and BET Arabesque Films, which produced all original programming and films for the African-American community. You subsequently founded The RLJ Companies, LLC, with a portfolio that includes hotels, streaming channels, gaming, entertainment, fashion, car dealerships, 401(k) planning, and private equity. Right now theres an intensifying drumbeat around the diversification of corporate boards. Chicago, Illinois 60605 At Johnson & Johnson, we blend heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. By the early 1960's, Johnson had his . You have to have an unshaken belief in yourself, work harder than the next guy, and do whatever it takes with determination. In 2007, Johnson created the Liberia Enterprise Development Fund with a $30 million investment. When COVID struck, we had to close almost 50% of our properties because if a hotels not making money, theres no sense of keeping it up. ) [CDATA[ Indifference, you may be able to work around. //]]>. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. After the couple sold BET Holdings, which includes the BET channel, to media conglomerate Viacom in 2000 for $2.3 billion in stock, they split $1.5 billion of the proceeds, making Johnson one of the wealthiest African American women in the United States. If they can do the job, give them the opportunity. New York Times, September 17, 1989; September 16, 1991. In addition to videos, black collegiate sports, news, and reruns of the Cosby Show, which comprise most of BETs format, Johnson is developing more original programming, including late night talk shows, public affairs series, one-act plays, a sports phone-in show, and teen magazine shows as well as live in-studio concerts and soap opera updates. Los Angeles Times, February 21, 2003, p. E-l. PR Newswire, April 13, 2001; January 14, 2003. ." On April 14, 2008, Johnson made comments to the effect that Obama would not be the Democratic Party's leading candidate if he were not black, in defense of a similar comment made by Geraldine Ferraro. . At the same time, if youre going around looking for a certain behavior then thats detrimental to your wellbeing on the job. [8] He became the first African-American billionaire in 2001. To subscribe, select any of the newsletters listed below. ) Encyclopedia.com. *Robert Johnson was born on this date in 1946. Baltimore previously served as president and CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust. Expert Insights & Thought Leadership 6-17-22 | RWJF After graduating from Princeton, Johnson found a job in Washington, D.C., that introduced him to the television industry. The REITs predecessor entity, RLJ Development, was co-founded by Baltimore and Johnson in 2000. Please check your inbox to manage your subscriptions. International Directory of Business Biographies. [3] His parents moved the family to Freeport, Illinois, when he was a child. Then in 1976 Johnson secured a job that would launch him in the direction of his future, as he became the vice-president of government relations for the National Cable and Television Association. Building on brand identity outside of the cable industry, Johnson capitalized by launching African American publications such as YSB, Emerge, Heart & Soul, and Arabesque Books, a line of African American romance novels written by African American authors. BET began operating a few hours a day. 820 S. Michigan Avenue Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the . For the first six years BET lost money, and Johnson sought new investors. Fax: (312) 322-0179 ." 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. On September 30, 2021, Knight Foundation released findings from a study assessing the representation of investment firms owned by women or members of racial or ethnic minority groups in the United States among investment firms used by the country's top 55 charitable foundations in terms of total asset size. Robert Johnson Los Altos, CA. In 1976 Johnson was named vice president of governmental relations for the National Cable Television Association, a trade organization that represents cable television companies. [3][7] Johnson is the former majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.
