A crowd of movers and shakers was exiting an event at the White House during the Clinton administration. Among them was Wayne State University President Irving Reid.
As Reid was leaving, civil rights leader and Clinton adviser Vernon Jordan called out, "When you get back to Detroit, be sure to tell Arthur Johnson hello!"
"He didn't say the mayor," Reid recalled. "He didn't say the governor. He said tell Arthur Johnson. I think that speaks volumes about who Arthur Johnson was. He was a quiet man of enormous strength."
Human rights activist, educator and arts advocate Arthur Johnson died at home Tuesday after an extended illness, prompted in part by the debilitating effects of Parkinson's disease, said Trevor Coleman, family spokesman and former Free Press editorial writer. Johnson was 85; he would have turned 86 on Saturday.
"When I came to Detroit there were three men I looked up to: Coleman Young, Damon Keith and Art Johnson," said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, upon learning of Johnson's passing. "They were the kind of role models who represent what we expect in strong black men. They were sensitive to the issues facing our people and weren't afraid to stand up and speak out.
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