Manning Johnson
Biography of Manning Johnson
Manning Rudolph Johnson (December 17, 1908 – July 2, 1959) was an African-American leader in the Communist Party USA who later became an anti-communist government witness and consultant.
Early life and education
Born in Washington, D.C., Johnson attended Lovejoy Elementary School, Lovejoy Junior High School, and Armstrong Technical High School. He later graduated from the Naval Air Technical School in Memphis, Tennessee.
Communist Party involvement
From 1930 until 1939, Johnson was active in the Communist Party USA. He held several leadership and organizing roles:
- National organizer for the Trade Union Unity League
- District agitation propaganda director for Buffalo, New York (1931–1932)
- District organizer for Buffalo (1932–1934)
- Party candidate for New York’s 22nd Congressional District special election (1935)
- Member of the CPUSA National Committee, National Trade Union Commission, and Negro Commission (1936–1939)
He left the Party shortly after the signing of the Hitler–Stalin Pact in 1939, citing disagreements over its approach to Black Americans and religious objections.
Anti-communist career
After departing the CPUSA, Johnson became a prominent government informant and witness:
- Testified before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) on multiple occasions, beginning in 1947
- Served as an “international representative” for the Retail Clerks’ International Association
- Worked as a consultant on Communist infiltration cases for the U.S. Justice Department
“They made fine gestures and honeyed words to the church people which could be well likened unto the song of the fabled sea-nymphs luring millions to moral decay, spiritual death, and spiritual slavery—”
Personal life and death
During World War II, Johnson served in the United States Navy. He was described in Time magazine (December 26, 1949) as a “husky, big-jawed— smooth, deep-voiced Negro.”
Johnson died on July 2, 1959, following an automobile accident near Lake Arrowhead Village, California. He is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.
Notable works
- Color, Communism, and Common Sense (1958)
- Numerous articles and published testimonies on Communist activity in America
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