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Johnson remembered as pioneering Black businessman

ANDERSON — A local business owner wanted to make sure Jesse Johnson, a leader in the Black business community, was remembered during Black History Month. Jeffrey Davis, owner of Davis Express, said it was time to recognize someone who did something special for the community. 'There are so many unsung local businessmen that have not been recognized for their accomplishments,' Davis said. Johnson is believed to have been the first Black real estate agent who built and sold homes in the community. He founded Johnson Real Estate and Insurance, using the profits to purchase an office building at the intersection of 13th Street and Madison Avenue. From 1968 to 1976, Johnson built more than 35 brick homes that were sold to Black families in desirable areas of Anderson. 'I bought my first home from Jesse Johnson in 1973,' said Ollie H. Dixon, the 4th District member of the Anderson City Council. 'I knew him, his wife and son through my parents.' Dixon said Johnson was well-known in the community for his real estate business, and he also did tax returns for people. 'He was most well-known for the real estate business,' he said. The Rev. Anthony Harris said his parents knew Johnson well. 'He was the first Black realtor who built homes to be sold to the community,' Harris said. 'They were beautiful homes.' Harris said Johnson served the community for most of his life and at one time was owner of the Elbow Room. Johnson served on the Indiana Civil Rights Commission from 1962 to 1966 and traveled around the state to inform Blacks of laws they were unaware of that had passed. He was a lifetime member of the NAACP, served on the boards of Ivy Tech Community College, Community Hospital, and the United Way of Madison County as well as the Anderson Plan Commission. Johnson was also a president of the Anderson Black Business and Professional Association in the 1970s. Johnson died in 2024 at the age of 98. He was a veteran of World War II and in 2021 took part in an honor flight to Washington, D.C.