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Moving Up . . .

NORMAN J. JOHNSON, JR.

When Norman J. Johnson, Jr., the newly appointed manager of Employment Relations on the Industrial Relations Staff of General Motors Corporation, graduated from Clark College in Atlanta, his classmates voted him as the Clark College graduate who would most likely be successful in life because he was "Mr. Clark College."

In later years, Clark University named him their most outstanding alumnus who exemplified their motto of "Culture for Service."

A business major in Economics at Clark, Mr. Johnson later earned his Master of Social Work degree and immediately plunged this knowledge to the test of pitting his training against the problems of community service with the Milwaukee Urban League.

From Milwaukee, Mr. Johnson continued his quest of service working as Director of the Beechwood Community Center in River Rogue, Michigan.

While at Beechwood, Mr. Johnson was called by the Michigan Civil Rights Commission to work for the Commission as a field representative specializing in solving "knotty" civil rights labor-related problems.

Mr. Johnson's reputation as a conciliator for solving community problems so preceded him that the J.L. Hudson Company, the large department store chain in Michigan hired him to direct their Community Training programs and to supervise their selling operations. As Assistant Employment Manager, a first.

From J.L. Hudson, the step to General Motors was next on the ladder up for Norman Johnson, where he served as Manager of Community Affairs, and now his present spot.

During and after college, Mr. Johnson was an avid participant in the Civil Rights Movement in Atlanta during the sixties.

On coming to Detroit, it was not long before he won the respect of his peers and his community for his work with the Detroit Neighborhood Organization; the Detroit NAACP Freedom Fund Executive Committee; the Marketing Committee of Detroit's Medical Center Harper-Grace Hospital; and Project Pride Committee of Detroit.

Mr. Johnson in recent years has served as an advisor for the Detroit Fair Housing Center; has served as Vice Chairman of the Total Living Commission, City of Southfield, Michigan; the United Community Services Citizen's Assembly of Detroit; and as an advisor of the United States District Court Monitoring Commission for the Detroit School District.

[[image - Norman J. Johnson, Jr.]]

A member of numerous organizations, Mr. Johnson is a member of the Public Relations Society of America; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity; National Association of Black Social Workers; life member of the NAACP; the National Urban League; National Business League and a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Mr. Johnson is a member of the Guardian Society of Michigan and a member of the American Indian Services of Detroit.

He has also served on the Board of Directors of the J.L. Hudson Credit Union; Board of Trustees, Metropolitan Detroit Youth Foundation; Board of Trustees of Detroit Home for Girls and a member of the Board of Advisors [[??]] Black Business and Engineering Students, Wayne [[?]] University.

Also a recipient of an honorary degree from [[?]] Memorial College, Columbia, South Carolina.

Mr. Johnson resides in Southfield, Michigan with his wife "Voni" and children, Keith, Karyn and Jimmy. He refers to himself as just an ordinary citizen trying to help his race move on up.

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