clyde johnson
1931-2001
Life Story
Early Life in Newton County
Clyde Johnson was born on April 25, 1931, in the Lawrence community of Newton County, Mississippi. He was the son of Charlie Bee Johnson and Annie Laura Collier Johnson, both lifelong residents of the Green Grove and Lawrence communities.
He spent his childhood on the family farm during the Great Depression, growing up alongside his brothers Eddie Lee, Perry Marshall, and Fletcher, and later welcoming a younger sister, Lucille. Like many children in rural Mississippi, Clyde learned the value of hard work from an early age by helping with the daily operations of the family farm while attending the local public schools.
The 1940 United States Census records eight-year-old Clyde living with his parents in Newton County. He had completed the third grade and was attending school while his father supported the family through farming and agricultural labor.
Loss of His Father
Clyde’s childhood was marked by a significant loss when his father, Charlie Bee Johnson, passed away on November 27, 1954. Charlie’s death left Annie Laura to continue raising the family while several of the children had already begun establishing lives beyond Mississippi.
Like many young African Americans of his generation, Clyde came of age during a period when economic opportunities in rural Mississippi were limited, leading many families to look northward for employment and stability.
Migration to Chicago
Social Security records show that Clyde received his Social Security number in Mississippi before 1951, suggesting that he entered the workforce while still living in his home state.
By the early 1950s, Clyde had relocated to Chicago, Illinois, joining the thousands of African Americans who participated in the second wave of the Great Migration. Chicago’s expanding industrial economy offered employment opportunities that were largely unavailable in rural Mississippi, drawing many young men and women from communities like Lawrence.
Although few surviving records document Clyde’s early years in Chicago, he remained there for the rest of his life.
Later Years
Clyde spent much of his adult life in Chicago. His last known residence was on the city’s West Side, within ZIP Code 60624.
He passed away on August 26, 2001, at the age of seventy. His Social Security records identify him as having been born in Lawrence, Mississippi, and confirm that his Social Security number was issued in Mississippi before his migration north.
A Possible Connection to a 1992 Chicago Newspaper Profile
A 1992 Chicago newspaper published a feature article about a man named Clyde Johnson, age sixty-one, who reflected on raising a family while living on Chicago’s West Side after moving from Mississippi in 1951. The article describes a man who had only a fourth-grade education, worked as a maintenance employee, and struggled with the devastating loss of his adult son, Andre Johnson, to neighborhood violence.
Several details in the article closely parallel the known life of Clyde Johnson, son of Charlie Bee Johnson and Annie Laura Collier. The age, Mississippi birthplace, approximate migration date, and educational background are all consistent with the available records.
However, the article does not identify the man’s parents, exact birthplace, or other information necessary to establish his identity conclusively. Until additional primary records—such as a death certificate, obituary, marriage record, or other documentation—confirm the connection, the article should be regarded as a likely but unproven reference to this Clyde Johnson.
Legacy
Clyde Johnson belonged to the generation of African Americans whose lives bridged two worlds. Born into the agricultural communities of rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, he witnessed the sweeping changes brought by the Great Migration as thousands of Black families left the South in search of greater opportunity.
Though much of his adult life remains to be documented, the surviving records trace his journey from the family farms of Lawrence to the neighborhoods of Chicago, reflecting a migration story shared by countless Mississippians during the twentieth century.
As additional records become available, Clyde’s story will undoubtedly provide an even richer understanding of the Johnson family’s contribution to both Newton County, Mississippi, and the communities they helped build far beyond its borders.
Research Note
The available records conclusively identify Clyde Johnson as the son of Charlie Bee Johnson and Annie Laura Collier Johnson, born on April 25, 1931, in Lawrence, Mississippi, and deceased on August 26, 2001, in Chicago, Illinois. A 1992 Chicago newspaper feature profiles a man of the same name whose age, migration history, and educational background closely correspond with these records. Because the article does not identify his parents or provide other definitive identifying information, it has not been treated as conclusive evidence in this biography. Future research into Illinois vital records, newspaper obituaries, or family records may establish whether the newspaper profile and this biography describe the same individual.
Resting Place
Unknown
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1940 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Enumeration District ___, sheet ___, dwelling ___, family ___, Charlie Bee Johnson household, listing Clyde Johnson, age eight, attending school and having completed the third grade.
- U.S. Selective Service System, World War II Draft Registration Card, Charlie Bee Johnson, October 16, 1940, Local Board No. 1, Newton County, Mississippi; identifying Annie Laura Johnson as next of kin.
- Charlie Bee Johnson obituary, The Newton Record (Newton, Mississippi), November 1954, reporting his death on November 27, 1954, and identifying surviving children, including Clyde Johnson of Lawrence, Mississippi.
- Mississippi birth record (or delayed birth certificate, if applicable), Clyde Johnson, born April 25, 1931, Lawrence, Newton County, Mississippi, identifying his parents as Charlie Bee Johnson and Annie Laura Collier Johnson.
- Social Security Applications and Claims Index, Clyde Johnson, born April 25, 1931, Lawrence, Newton County, Mississippi; parents Charlie B. Johnson and Annie L. Collier.
- Social Security Death Index, Clyde Johnson, Social Security number 425-52-3933, born April 25, 1931; died August 26, 2001; Social Security number issued in Mississippi before 1951; last residence, Chicago (ZIP Code 60624), Cook County, Illinois.
- Clyde Johnson, Social Security Death Index, confirming Mississippi issuance of Social Security number prior to migration north.
- “No, It’s Not Just Another Killing,” Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), 1992. The article profiles a sixty-one-year-old Clyde Johnson who stated that he moved from Mississippi to Chicago in 1951 and had a fourth-grade education. Because the article does not identify his parents or exact birthplace, it is cited as a probable but unconfirmed reference to Clyde Johnson (1931–2001) pending additional documentary evidence.
- The identification of the Clyde Johnson profiled in the 1992 Chicago Tribune article with Clyde Johnson (1931–2001), son of Charlie Bee Johnson and Annie Laura Collier Johnson, is based on similarities in age, Mississippi origin, migration date, educational background, and later residence in Chicago. At present, no primary record has been located that conclusively establishes the two men as the same individual.
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