Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnny Crawford.
Hi Johnny, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I became a photographer 45 years ago because a horrible black-and-white photograph of my grandfather, Henry Crawford, was published in the local newspaper in Jackson, GA when I was 15. A few years later, I was the editor of my high school newspaper, The Red Letter, when my journalism teacher, Annette Williams, put a camera in my hands and said, ” Learn how to use it.”
Years later, while attending Morehouse College, I went to the Southeastern Center For the Photographic Arts at night to increase my photography skill. The following year I served as a photography assistant at the V.A. Medical Center in Decatur, GA. At the V.A., I photographed veterans from World War I, World War II, Korean War, and the Vietnam War. My assignments included portraits, surgeries, and autopsies.
During my final year at Morehouse College, I applied for photojournalism internships at the top five newspapers in the U.S and was rejected by all of them. Finally, after praying over all of the rejection letters, the name of the internship director of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution appeared floating in gold lettering off the page of a rejection letter. After calling her for six days and being rejected multiple times, she awarded me an internship on the seventh day. That ten-week internship was extended to ten months and eventually grew to a full-time staff position.
I was an award-winning staff photographer for 28 years and seven months at the newspaper. During that time, I photographed five U.S. Presidents, three Olympic Games, Nelson Mandela’s trip to America, over 500 college and professional colleges games, and twenty-five years of NASCAR.
However, in 2013, I was laid off from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and I began teaching photography and focusing on photography projects that would make a difference in the world.
My two major projects: “The Vietnam Black Soldiers Portrait Project.” and “The Perfect Gift,” The African American Organ Transplantation Project, are what I’m working on now.
The Vietnam Black Soldiers Portrait Project aims to produce portraits of Black Vietnam Veterans in 19 states and the District of Columbia. These portraits will represent a visual history of the 275,000 Black men and women who served in combat and supply services in all branches of the United States Military. The states include Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, New York, California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Over 7240 Black Soldiers died during the war, more than four times that number were physically injured. In contrast, the number of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was estimated to be over 200,000.
The project’s mission is to educate Americans about the Black men and women in their community that served, suffered, and died, fighting for democracy and civil rights on behalf of the people in South Vietnam, even though they did not have the same rights themselves as Americans.
The project’s vision is to supply museum-quality portraits of these brave but unknown Americans for exhibits in museums, churches, schools, and galleries in their communities.
I’ve photographed veterans in Georgia and Florida, and I am searching for veterans in Alabama and South Carolina. The Georgia Veterans have been exhibited over twelve times, including an exhibition at Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN. I’m searching for funding and space for a Florida Black Vietnam Veterans exhibition in Florida.
The Perfect Gift is a photography exhibit highlighting African American transplant recipients, living donors, and deceased donor families. The series of black and white portraits underline the impact of a donation.
“The Perfect Gift” vision is to increase the number of African American organ donors in Georgia. Approximately 5,000 men, women, and children are awaiting lifesaving organ transplants in Georgia. Sixty – three percent of those on the transplant waiting list in Georgia are African American. I had a kidney transplant over 28 years ago, so this is my way of honoring the donor family that gave me a chance at life.
As a photography instructor, I’ve taught photojournalism and digital photography at Grady High School, Clark Atlanta University, University of Georgia, Middle Georgia State University, and Mercer University in Macon, GA. I also teach private photography lessons at Privatephotographylesson.com.
I have an M.A. degree in photojournalism from Ohio University, B.A. Degree in Psychology and a B.A. Public Relations from Morehouse College. I’ve been married to Jacqueline Crawford for 36 years and have three adult sons.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I had kidney failure in 1993 and received a kidney transplant seven months later. This year marks my twenty-eighth year as a successful kidney transplant recipient.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a photojournalist that specializes in large black & white portraits that highlight social, military, and medical issues. I also produce custom photography-driven tabletop books for organizations, corporations, churches, colleges, fundraisers, and individuals.
I’m the founder and Director of the Vietnam Black Soldiers Portrait Project
What’s next?
I look forward to photographing and producing exhibitions on Black Vietnam Veterans in 17 states and Washington, D.C.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.johnnycrawfordphotography.com/portfolio
- Instagram: Johnnycrawfordphotos
- Twitter: @Jcrawfordajc
- Other: https://vietnamblacksoldiersportraitproject.com/
Image Credits
Johnny Crawford Photography
