Sheila
C. Johnson became the first African-American female billionaire in
2000, when she and her former husband, co-founders of Black Entertainment
Television (BET), sold BET for $3 billion.
Currently the chief
executive officer of Salamander Hospitality, LLC, Johnson owns Market
Salamander in Middleburg, Virginia, and Woodlands Resort & Inn,
a five-star property outside of Charleston, South Carolina. She is
president, managing partner and governor for the Washington Mystics,
a WNBA team. In addition, she is a part owner of the Wash-ington Wizards,
an NBA team, and the Washington Capitals, a National Hockey League
team.
Johnson's legacy, however, will not be her wealth
or business holdings. Instead, she will long be remembered for the
organizations and lives she has positively impacted with her philanthropy.
Shelia C. Johnson
Through the Sheila C. Johnson Foundation, Johnson has contributed
at least $20 million to organizations in support of children, education and
the arts.
Johnson serves on the boards of the following organizations
and has been a significant donor to them: Centers for Disease Control Foundation,
Morrisville College Foundation, Parsons The New School for Design, University
of Illinois Foundation and Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts.
"Find a passion and be generous
and giving to others."
Her contributions have been used to help youth interested
in culinary careers, renovate a university building, provide scholarships for
first-generation college students, combat childhood obesity, support public
schools' arts-education programs and jumpstart addiction-treatment programs.
Johnson has always been committed to enhancing the lives
of children. She has spoken around the world on behalf of the International
Centre for Missing & Exploited Children and currently serves as international
ambassador for CARE, a humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. One
of her great achievements was the development of BET's award-winning program, "Teen
Summit," which gave teenagers a chance to talk frankly about their critical
issues. Young adults still approach her to tell her how valuable the show was
in their lives.
An accomplished violinist, Johnson earned a degree in music
education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The mother of
two children, Johnson encourages today's youth "to find a passion and
be generous and giving to others."
