Born the daughter of a prominent neurosurgeon father and a mother who worked as an accountant long before it was expected or fashionable for the wives of professionals to work outside of the home , the dedication to excellence , hard work , and resilience that have defined Johnson ’ s life trajectory surfaced early .
By the age of 5 , she was playing the piano . By the time she reached fifth grade , she had begun to master the violin , ultimately displaying such prodigious talent that she would go on to study at the Fine Arts Music Conservatory near her hometown of Maywood , Illinois , play with the Chicago Youth Symphony and earn a coveted full scholarship to the University of Illinois , where she was the only Black student in the Fine Arts Department and the first Black cheerleader at the university .
Following graduation , she taught music at the elite Sidwell Friends private school in Washington , D . C ., before striking out on her own to teach private lessons and establish an orchestra called “ Young Strings in Action ,” comprised of more than 100 of her students from different schools in the D . C . area . The ensemble was so compellingly talented that it garnered widespread praise and acclaim , even capturing the attention of King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan , who flew the entire orchestra to Amman by private jet to perform on four separate occasions .
In 1979 , Johnson ’ s life took a transformative turn when she met Robert L . Johnson , the successful media entrepreneur and cable television lobbyist . Together with a group of investors , they co-founded BET ( Black Entertainment Television ) in 1980 , with ( Sheila ) Johnson serving as Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs . The launch of the network heralded a watershed moment in American television history , as it simultaneously marked the first time in the history of the small screen that a platform existed that was solely devoted to showcasing and celebrating the African- American experience .
By 1991 , the network had skyrocketed to such success that it became the first Black-owned company listed on the New York Stock Exchange . By 2002 , when it was sold to Viacom , the once tiny cable outlet scored a $ 3 billion payday , landing the Johnsons among the wealthiest couples in America .
However , in the words of William Shakespeare , “ All that glitters is not gold .”
Behind the scenes , the picture was far less rosy at the time of the network ’ s sale . Perhaps hers seemed a Cinderella story to many casual onlookers , but it was anything but a fairy tale for Sheila Johnson . Her marriage of some 33 years was crumbling , rocked by infidelity , betrayal , and emotional abuse . In fact , so dire were the straits of the union that Johnson ’ s husband fired her from the company she had co-founded and worked so hard to make successful . When the deal for the sale of BET was completed , Johnson learned the news not from her husband or any executive at the network but from a news ticker in Times Square as she happened to be walking by . To make matters worse , over time , Sheila Johnson ’ s contribution to creating one of the most successful and groundbreaking Black-owned businesses in the history of America had slowly and methodically been obliterated . act of my life was the most challenging , and that was the Black Entertainment Television part because I was erased out of all the hard work I was doing in the background .”
“ So many men control and try to erase their spouse , especially as they become more powerful . And it ’ s the spouse pushing them forward , which is what I was doing ,” she continues . “ I was the cheerleader in all this , but the more I cheered and wanted to propel him forward , the worse things got . I mean , the cheating , the betrayal , and the erasing me out of the most important things that happened at BET , like being the first Black company to go on the New York Stock Exchange . He wouldn ’ t even let me go . So , it was emotional abuse more than anything .”
After years of silence and amid the triumphant “ third act ” of her life , which finds her celebrating the 10th anniversary of her flourishing hotel empire , Sheila Johnson is finally telling her story in her new memoir , Walk Through Fire : A Memoir of Love , Loss , and Triumph . A candid , warts-and-all reflection that is both deeply personal and inspirational . Johnson ’ s new tome was written as much for other women in her situation as it was for her catharsis .
“ I wrestled [ with this ] for so long ,” Johnson explains . “ I said , ‘ Am I writing this book for me or others ?’ And it ’ s really for both . I want to help women heal out there and understand that we have a big job on our hands .”
“ I feel incredibly strongly about empowering women , whether through sharing my story or helping through philanthropic efforts ,” she adds .
In her post-divorce , post-BET life , philanthropy has been a central pillar of Johnson ’ s life . She has made significant donations to various educational institutions including the University of Illinois , the University of Virginia , the State University of New York at Morrisville , Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Parsons School of Design in New York . She has also served as a Global Ambassador for CARE , a fitting appointment as the organization is known as a leader in fighting world poverty through women ’ s empowerment .
That said , much of Johnson ’ s generosity has been reserved for Middleburg , Virginia , the beloved town in Loudoun County known as “ the nation ’ s horse and hunt capital ,” which also happens to be the home of her flagship Five-Star Salamander Resort and Spa ( now known as Salamander Middleburg ), the opening of which has inured to the benefit of the entire region .
“ The town has changed positively ,” Johnson says of the evolution she has witnessed in Middleburg since she first purchased a 340-acre plot of land from the Harriman family estate with her sights set on creating a world-class resort . “ When I first moved here , there were few places to eat , and I built a performing arts center at our local school , which has been critical for the success of our film festival .”
“ We ’ ve got more restaurants in , a magnificent bookstore , a children ’ s shop , we have got business now … we are a burgeoning town with retail and restaurants . On any given day , people walk through the town and spend money . The town is now probably one of the wealthiest historic towns in the state ,” she continues .
“ I felt like a piece of lint ,” Johnson acknowledged recently in a conversation about her life and journey . “ I would say the second
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