Beverly Black Johnson-Electronic Press Kit
Mission Statement:
With heart to God and hand to man, I will stand firm in my beliefs on God's word, use my God-given gifts to
help the world, and be a beacon of life and hope to every life I encounter. ~Beverly Black Johnson
The Beginning:
Beverly Black Johnson hails from the San Francisco Bay Area, born in the liberal city of San Francisco, and
raised in East Palo Alto, CA from the age of six.
The youngest of four, if asked to define her childhood she would say in one word, lonely. With older siblings
off to school or activities Beverly was yet too young to participate in, she would find herself creating
“imaginary playmates” by around age six or seven, to fill the gap of loneliness. This would later manifest into
the depression she endured later in life.
Sibling Suicide:
By age 17 Beverly would experience the death of her step-father, the suicide of her closest friend and only
brother, Homer Joe Black Jr., and would barely graduate high school in 1977. Though she showed up every
day, she cut class a lot and started acting out. As a result of losing her brother she began to believe the world
thought there was something seriously wrong with her. Her life had never been touched by a tragedy so close.
By then friends and peer pressure would play its role leading to experimenting with marijuana. She’d already
experimented with the bad habit of smoking cigarettes back in 8 th grade. It seems like all the adults did so
naturally as kids, it was associated with maturity.
When her mother found out about the weed, she admonished her belief that one drug led to another and did
not condone her use of marijuana, but with Beverly home alone while her mom worked nights, there was
little to stop what was to unfold.
College Drop-out:
After high school, between 1977 and 1980, she made several attempts to attend college only to drop out,
yielding her destiny to a booming electronics industry. She would learn the trade from laser’s to electrodes
and everything in between. This trade would prove valuable for over 20 years.
In 1982 she gave birth to her first child, a very healthy baby boy. He was just 2 months old when Beverly
returned to work as an R & D Technician for a government contractor paying really well. It was around
these years that Beverly would be introduced to a myriad of drugs from the small circle of influencers, and
friends. These drugs include snorting cocaine and smoking hashish laced marijuana. What her mom already
knew would happen, inevitably did happen. One drug did in fact lead to another.
Crack Addiction:
By 1983 crack cocaine hit the scene and a red flag went up in Beverly’s spirit. Even though she felt it deep in
her heart that it would have grave consequences, it was too much to resist when it hit the “trusted circle” of
friends. Friends that, like Beverly, were ironically also health conscience. Long before the drugs, was the
common interest of wholeness with nature, the creator, and the benefits of an all natural diet. The appetite
that came with smoking weed just made matters better for their social consciousness but lurking behind the
shadows coming fast to the forefront was the demon that broke all hell loose. CRACK! When they took their
first puff off that crack pipe they were inevitably hooked on its effects not knowing the hell to be unleashed in
their lives, the lives of their families, the community that became a violent ghost town, and the dim future.
People started losing their minds!! After that would follow the loss of jobs, homes, people, and trust. If you
were on crack-you were not to be trusted. All that was left to respect was the code of the streets, which had
quickly become a town of the living dead. East Palo Alto, California-murder capital of the world!!
Crack Baby I:
In 1984 Beverly gave birth to an underweight, crack addicted baby girl, in the ambulance racing down
Cooley Avenue towards Stanford Hospital. By the ages of 3 and 5, the kids were brought into the "system" by
her father, who also arranged for Beverly to deal with her warrants collected from shoplifting to feed her
drug habit, vowing not to lose another child, the only one he has left. While her mother and sisters fought
tirelessly to keep the kids together in a system evoking more divide than unity, Beverly's bout with drugs
continued, save for a few breaks in between brief stays in county jail or treatment programs.
Getting Clean:
Years later after going in and out of drug programs, jail and the streets, Beverly moved to Oakland to assist
in her father’s general contracting business and to “get clean.” Beverly became active in the reunification
process to have her children returned to her as she began to clean up her life. During this time she would
meet a special man at work who would later become her first husband. He also took part in the visits with her
first two children. When she became pregnant, her boyfriend decided they would make it an official family
and they married in Reno, Nevada in July 1991. Their joy would be short lived because Beverly would be
forced by the child welfare system to move back to San Mateo County or risk her current children being
moved to a foster home in the county of her residency, Oakland CA.
To prevent the uprooting of her children, Beverly hesitantly moved back to East Palo Alto, "the old hood and
the old friends", only for the drug cycle to begin again.
Crack Baby II:
In less than six months she gave birth to a baby boy at a friend’s house. After her husband drove her to the
East Palo Alto fire station, Beverly and baby were transported to the hospital via ambulance. The baby, who
tested positive for crack, wasn’t allowed to leave the hospital with her. This era of babies were dubbed
“crack babies”. The police showed up to the hospital to arrest her for attempted manslaughter but God had
other plans. See this is the same baby that her husband, in a drug-induced rage, threatened to cut out of her
stomach forcing Beverly to make the decision of locking herself in a bedroom and jumping out of a window to
save his life. No, God has other plans.
Free At Last:
On February 24, 1992 Beverly got the answer to her prayer, “Lord, please don’t let me die out here before I
can get my kids back and raise them into adults with morals of value-in my parent’s lifetime.” After a failed
attempt at “petty theft” Beverly came out of hiding into the handcuffs of the waiting police so they wouldn’t
arrest her husband, who, at the time didn’t even know what was happening. As soon as the handcuffs went on
she felt like she was FREE AT LAST!!
In 1993, she and her husband divorced but Beverly stayed on her path to recovery and to getting back with
her children. She wasn’t letting anything stop her. Beverly did complete the reunification process, and did
regain custody of ALL her children. She was told she would never get her baby boy that tested positive. She
regained custody of him when he was 18 months old. The two eldest children she was told would be, and
should have been adopted out within 24 months or so of entering the system 8 years prior, but God had other
plans.
From Crack Pipe to Publishing
Beverly has been “crack-free” since February 24, 1992 and eventually returned to her first love, writing. Her
biography under development titled “A Wretch Like Me” will detail her life’s trials and tribulations.
In 2003, she founded the award-winning Gumbo for the Soul Publications which has garnered the support
many notables including artist Synthia SAINT JAMES, Tavis Smiley, Bruce George, Shelia M. Goss, Dr.
Julia Hare, Marvin Winans Jr., and George C. Fraser, to name a few.
She continues to aspire with writing, having published Gumbo for the Soul: The Recipe for Literacy in the
Black Community (2007), Gumbo For The Soul: Here's Our Child, Where's The Village?(2008), Gumbo for
the Soul: Women of Honor-Special Pink Edition (2010), heightening awareness of breast cancer while
honoring women that have made a difference in the lives of the anthology submitter's, and counterpart,
Gumbo for the Soul: Men of Honor (2012), focusing on prostate cancer, and honoring men. Along with
Beverly’s father, the late Homer J. Black, Sr., some of the honorees include Michael Jackson and Bishop
Desmond Tutu.
A Wretch Like Me:
Life has been no cake walk but now that Beverly has turned hers around she has much to be thankful for.
She lost her mother in 2007, but not before thanking her for her relentless fight to keep her first two children
from being separated by the system. She still struggles with the pain of her family being ostracized during her
mother’s sickness, and not being allowed to attend the funeral. “I don’t know another human being that
couldn’t go to their own mother’ funeral. How does one get a grip around that?” Beverly showed her
gratitude in the book, “Here’s Our Child-Where’s The Village” and also dedicated “Women of Honor”
published in 2010, to her mother. She was also able to show her gratitude to her dad before his passing in
2009 for helping her through her life’s journey, and with the seed money to start Gumbo for the Soul
Publications. He is acknowledged in “Men of Honor” published in 2012.
Beverly and her Tribe
Beverly’s third child did thrive beyond what the medical expectations predicted, and seems to error on the
“genius” side. Beverly gave birth a fourth time to a beautiful girl, now a teen, who is working towards a high
school diploma. They all now have their own stories to tell. One has had four heart surgeries, one has had two
back surgeries, one suffered a third degree burn that didn’t leave a scar, and one survived crossing a busy
street at night as a toddler having newly discovered opening doors, two were born healthy in the hospital, one
in an ambulance, and one at a friend’s house without a hospital in site, and two were born addicted to crack
cocaine . By the grace of God, all are alive and well. What God has done in their lives is nothing short of a
miracle.
Beverly was pulled out of an 8 year crack addiction, her children were protected through many tribulations,
and allowing them all to live to testify about it is truly a Blessing from God. Beverly’s testimony bears truth
that all things are possible through Christ Jesus.
Advocacy|Giving Back
Beverly started Gumbo for the Soul Literacy Program as an outlet for her award winning publications
company, Gumbo for the Soul, to give back to the community. Gumbo for the Soul Literacy Program
(501)(c)(4) community outreach offers workshops, performs community service and has donated books since
its first publication in 2007. Each book the company publishes aligns with an organization to which they
donate the fruits of labor in time, donations, and deed.
Supporting the San Jose Family Supportive Housing since 2006, as a former resident, Beverly is grateful to
give back with donations, time and educational material | clothing and monetary donations. She was honored
to be the keynote speaker at Bellermine College Preparatory | Soup Kitchen Fundraiser (2006), on behalf of
her experience as a former resident at the shelter in 2005. Beverly was noted as the only resident since the
shelter opened its doors to have ever successfully completed the transition to employment and independent
living.
Beverly is passionate about education and wellness. More about “Giving Back” is on the website page:
http://www.gumboforthesoul.com/7.html
Speaking Appearances| Interviews
2005
Bellermine College Preparatory for the *19th Annual Soup Kitchen Dinner* benefiting Family Supportive
Housing, Inc.
2006
September 16, 2006 Gumbo for The Soul Literacy Workshop
*How To Become Actively Involved In Your Child's Education*
C.O.G.I.C. Oakland, Ca
~~~~~~~
2006-2007
Bay Area Literacy adult tutor for *Partners in Reading* -volunteer tutor
~~~~~~~
2007
June 30, 2007 *Leimert Park Book Festival* book signing
2008
February 28, 2008
San Jose City College, San Jose, CA in Celebration of *Black History Month* -Book signing and Poetry
readings.
~~~~~~~
March 14th *Meet and Greet* at 6pm
at: Flava Coffee House
Seattle, WA
~~~~~~~
March 15th-*Wag Arts Festival*
Solara Urban Oasis
Seattle, WA
-next to Flava's Coffee House~~~~~~~
May 31, 2008
Book Expo America *African American Pavilion*, Los Angeles, CA- book presentation
~~~~~~~
August 10, 2008, KBCW-Ch 12
television interview, *Black Renaissance*, hosted by Dr. Brenda Wade
2009
February
San Jose City College, San Jose, CA in Celebration of *Black History Month* -Book signing and Poetry
readings.
~~~~~~~
June
*Leimert Park Book Festival* Los Angeles, CA -book signing
2010
May - *From The Heart & Soul Show” with Lady Serenity – radio interview
~~~~~~~
November 2010
Debut of “Gumbo for the Soul” radio show- Season I on “From The Heart & Soul” with Lady Serenity.
2011
October
Season II of “Gumbo for the Soul” radio show- opens on its own station.
2012
January
“Gumbo for the Soul” radio show- Season II host book release party for, “Men of Honor” acknowledging
legends, Michael Jackson, Bishop Desmond Tutu and more.
~~~~~~~
April
11th Annual Mills-Peninsula Women's Luncheon and Lecture- Burlingame, CA – speaker
Interview/Speaker Request | Topics
Overcoming Crack Addiction, Children and the System, Working Through Adversity, Parents Working with
Foster Care for Reunification. Publishing: Getting Started. Overcoming Obstacles. Effects of Suicide on
Siblings. Health. Faith and Inspiration. Contact Beverly Black Johnson: beverlyblackjohnson@gmail.com