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Military veteran and sports enthusiast impacts African American history

CHICAGO CRUSADER — As a civil rights leader, military veteran, sports enthusiast, educator and advocate for social justice, Hyde Park resident Dr. James W. Johnson has impacted many lives throughout his illustrious career. A former athlete at Dunbar High School during the 50s, and now a retired professor of history from the University of Alabama A&M, Johnson has influenced students, athletes, politicians, dignitaries, ministers and a host of other prominent individuals throughout his lifetime.

Published

6 years ago

September 20, 2019

Oakland Post

Dr. James W. Johnson (Photo by: Waldemar Reichert)

By J. G. Phillips

As a civil rights leader, military veteran, sports enthusiast, educator and advocate for social justice, Hyde Park resident Dr. James W. Johnson has impacted many lives throughout his illustrious career.

A former athlete at Dunbar High School during the 50s, and now a retired professor of history from the University of Alabama A&M, Johnson has influenced students, athletes, politicians, dignitaries, ministers and a host of other prominent individuals throughout his lifetime.

“I served as a private in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959,” Johnson said. “The Korean War had ended but the draft continued. I was drafted in 1957 and served a two-year tour of duty in the Panama Canal Zone where the Army trained me as a medic and x-ray technician.”

With a strong background in history, Johnson was credited as a pioneer in the South, for launching and spearheading the “Buffalo Soldiers” exhibit project in 1995.

The project was a historical exhibit that was once displayed in the James H. Wilson Hall at the University of Alabama A&M Black Archives Research Center and Museum in Huntsville, AL during the 90s.

“As a tribute to the soldiers, I wanted to create a permanent exhibit for the Black Archives Research Center,” Johnson said. “I served as director of the museum (during the time) and had a hand in obtaining national historic landmark status for Alabama A&M University’s James H. Wilson building.”

The exhibit was dedicated to the 10th Calvary Regiment, a group of all Black soldiers who were dubbed “Buffalo Soldiers” by Native Americans during the Indian Wars of the late 1800s. The group was also known for its combat in the Spanish American War, the Philippine-American War, the Mexican Expedition, World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War, making a strong impact throughout history.

When asked how the military impacted his life, Johnson shared his struggles, his journey and his solutions on how he dealt with racism as a soldier.

“Traveling to U.S. Army bases for training and to Panama, changed my world-view,” Johnson said. “I was able to gain a better understanding of politics and history. I grew up in Chicago. While traveling with the Army from Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, to Ft. Polk, LA, one day our bus stopped at a restaurant [in the South] with a sign saying ‘Colored Eat in Back.’ I did not go into the restaurant. I got sick to my stomach.”

Johnson said that he and his wife also experienced racism while he was stationed in Panama during the pre-Civil Rights era. While applying for a house outside of the military base, a real estate agent rejected Johnson and his wife immediately and told them that the property they were looking to purchase was “already sold to a white couple,” Johnson said. They were also told that Blacks were not allowed to live in the area due to previous segregation housing laws (in spite of President Harry Truman lifting the ban on housing segregation during the 50s).

”After my service ended, the Civil Rights movement was kicking into gear,” Johnson said. “I became attuned to history and politics. I later used the GI Bill to fund my graduate level studies in African American history.

After the incident, Johnson decided to support his family by working as a technician in the medical field and an agent in real estate property management while earning a bachelor’s degree from Chicago State University. He also earned a master’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia, focusing on African American Studies. One of his first scholarly articles analyzed the role of America’s Black press in covering and shaping national and international politics.

As a staunch advocate for historical preservation and a well-respected authoritarian in African American history, Johnson, a Fulbright Scholar, would go on to teach at the University of Maiduguri in Nigeria while participating in studies in Ghana, where he expanded his understanding in African culture and traditional religions in addition to traveling to Senegal, Liberia and Sierra Leone in his lifetime.

Since August of 2009, Johnson now 84, has lived at a residence for senior citizens in Hyde Park, where he currently commits to helping others.

This article originally appeared in The Chicago Crusader.

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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

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2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

WATCH HERE

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”