Cliff Johnson

Cliff Johson grew up in Abilene, Texas in a working-class, segregated Black community. He attended Carter G. Woodson Junior Senior high school where he was an honor student and class president. At twelve years old, after being given a tour of the bank where his mother worked as a cook, Cliff decided that he wanted to be a banker. He earned a degree in banking despite the difficult transition to the predominantly-white North Texas University, and a position at Security Pacific Bank in Los Angeles, California. As a banker, Cliff was once again in a predominantly-white environment where he was underestimated. He was able to work his way up to becoming Branch Manager in Compton and earned a master’s degree at Pepperdine College to pursue Corporate banking. In Compton, Cliff helped members of his community fight issues like redlining and became involved with the Boys and Girls Club, building a state-of-the-art facility in Watts. He also became the first African American Chairman of the Board of the Torrance Chamber of Commerce where he helped address the racism in the Torrance police department. Cliff hopes that young people today know about the challenges and triumphs of African American history and are inspired to give back.