The photo on this site shows Mal in her natural grey hair, not her famous black helmet of a wig. I don't think she would have liked this picture while she was alive, but I like that it serves to remind us that she was an elder of ours.
Here is a link to the National Association of Black Journalists tribute to Mal Johnson. Mal was a founder of that organization and was honoured by them many times while she was still alive. The photo of Mal on this site has her sitting on that white couch in her livingroom.
This site also has a link to a slideshow about the NABJ founders, including Mal. And there's an item about Mal and the NABJ on the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists website. Also, you can find online the part of the book about the founding of the NABJ that covers Mal's role. It's at: http://books.google.com/books?id=I21yBNr9eQoC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=mal+johnson&source=web&ots=Yy8Vh4hVon&sig=Iq1Axfge9n4TC69nPNfseDgzSZc#PPA14,M1. This is quite an exciting story, and very typical of Mal's readiness to use her position, her contacts, her instincts and understanding, and her own personal time and energy to move for the advancement of those she championed, not only the black journalists, but women journalists, feminist women, military widows, friends, relatives, and people from many walks of life. She was incredibly generous.In 2005, Mal Johnson was interviewed on video by a group called The History Makers. Here is a link to a brief biography and good recent photo on that site.
Mal was wearing a lavalier mic for the video interview.
