Thomas Aldrige Johnson was one of the first African-American journalists to work as a foreign correspondent for a major daily newspaper. Johnson wrote for “Newsday” and “The New York Times” as their first African-American journalist.

He broke the color barrier for “Newsday” in 1963 and in 1966 for “The New York Times.”

Johnson was born in St. Augustine, Florida on Oct. 11,1928. As a child he moved to New York. Before attending college, he served three years in the Army during the Korean War. In 1954, Johnson graduated form Long Island University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.  

After graduation, he began working in public relations, became a freelance writer, and worked for the New York City welfare department until “Newsday” hired him.

After being hired at “Newsday,” he was paid $163 a week.

While working for “The New York Times,” he worked in Africa, Vietnam, Europe, and in the Caribbean. From 1977 to 1978, Johnson was the assistant metropolitan editor at “The New York Times.”

During the 1960s, Johnson found himself as a reporter and an interpreter for racial conflict. During this time, he wrote a book that consisted of civil rights and urban unrest. He was also called upon to find African-Americans’ view on important issues.

Johnson won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, for his articles based on black servicemen in Vietnam and Europe.

While overseas, he discovered these men had become resentful soldiers, because they were being placed in harms way and there were civil rights activists being harassed in the United States.

In 1967, Johnson became one of the founding members of Black Perspective. This was the first organization of black reporters. It was a New York-based organization.

Johnson was also a founding member of the Black Enterprise magazine’s founding board of advisors.

Johnson was a professor at New York University from 1969 to 1972, where he worked in the journalism department. He created his own class named “ Race and the News Media.” It later became popular at other colleges and universities.

In 1981, he founded his own public relations firm, Thomas A. Johnson & Associates.

He was also the president of his New York-based firm. During the early days of his firm, he resigned from “The New York Times.”

Johnson died at the age of 79 on June 2, 2008.

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• Shantelle Stotts, Contributor