Ernie Johnson’s ethnicity and racial background have long been discussed. Fans often ask, “Is Ernie Johnson black or white?”
Ernie Johnson Jr. is an American sportscaster known for his work with TNT Sports. He also serves as a television voice and studio host for Major League Baseball on TBS.
He also contributes as a host in “Inside the NBA” for TNT and NBA TV.
Similarly, works on the joint coverage of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament for TNT Sports and CBS Sports.
Highlights
- American sportscaster Ernie Johnson is known for his work with TNT Sports covering NBA and MLB news.
- Ernie Johnson is not black but a Caucasian. He just got along with his black companions in the NBA.
- Johnson’s paternal grandparents were Swedish nationals. His maternal side of the family was native American.
Johnson began his career as a sportscaster in 1977 during his college-era at the University of Georgia, working for the radio station WAGQ-FM in Athens.
In 1979, Ernie was hired as a news anchor at WMAZ-TV in Macon, Georgia, and later as a news reporter at WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1981.
Furthermore, from 1982 to 1989, Ernie Johnson worked at WSB-TV, Atlanta, as a general assignment news reporter and was promoted to weekend sports anchor and reporter.
Since 1990, EJ has been associated with Turner Network Television‘s coverage of the NBA. He has been a sportscaster on the NBA Live 98 and the NBA 2K franchise since 2014.
68-year-old, Ernie is a six-time Sports Emmy Award Winner and 2021 National Sports Media Association National Sportscaster of the Year.
Ernie Johnson Is Of Caucasian Descent But Often Seen In Candid Conversations With Black Colleagues
Ernie Johnson Jr. was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, to his father, Ernie Johnson Sr., and mother, Lois Denhard Johnson.
His mother, Lois, was born and grew up in Chicago, the same as her parents, and thus was a native American.
However, Johnson’s father, Ernie Johnson Sr., was Swedish-American, and his parents, Jr.’s grandparents, were Swedish nationals.
Ernie Johnson Jr.’s grandfather, Thorwald, and grandmother, Alina “Inkie” Ingeborg, had emigrated from Sweden in the early 1900s and settled in Brattleboro, Vermont, where his father, Johnson Sr., was born.
Ernie Johnson Jr. landed his first sports broadcasting job in college with WAGQ-FM in Athens, Georgia.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 30, 2023
His father was an MLB player-turned-sports commentator, and Ernie hoped to follow in his footsteps.
Now, Johnson has been the voice of multiple sports for nearly five decades… pic.twitter.com/Y6umSqZJnE
Therefore, Ernie Johnson is not white but light-skinned. He is of Caucasian descent with Swedish ancestry.
However, fans often questioned whether Ernie Johnson was black or white in the live broadcasting sessions.
In one of the Inside the NBA video of October 29, 2008, one of the viewers asked in Myspace stating,
I have been wondering for years now, Is EJ Black or White? Not, that it matters what he think but I always wanted to know.
Responding to that question, former NBA player Charles Barkley said that EJ is not only the white but the super white, the biggest white nerd.
However, Erine did not answer it but changed the topic of the conversation. He said,
Is EJ Black or White? Yes, We Will Be Back With “Inside The NBA” presented by Hyundai.
Ernie Johnson
Furthermore, there are videos on YouTube titled, Ernie Johnson, Being Black Complicated”; some videos have over a million views.
Although Johnson Jr. is not black, he does get along with the NBA’s black players and often engages with them in several activities.
Ernie Johnson Jr’s Father, Ernie Johnson Sr., Was A Major League Baseball Player
Ernie Johnson Jr.’s father was born to Swedish parents Thorwald and Alina. The family was lured to Brattleboro, Vermont, by the Estey Organ Company, a world-famous manufacturer of pipe organs.
Thorwald worked at Estey for 45 years and also delivered newspapers on Sundays. During that time, there were about 300 Swedish employees at Estey.
Remembering Ernie Johnson, Sr. who was born on this date in 1924. pic.twitter.com/nZwIS9yd8B
— Braves on TBS (@BravesOnTBS) June 16, 2024
Ernie Johnson Jr.’s father initially served in the US Marine Corps for three years. He made his major league debut on April 28, 1950, against the Philadelphia Phillies while playing for the Boston Braves.
Between 1950 and 1959, Johnson Sr played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher. He played for the Boston Braves until 1958 and with the Baltimore Orioles in 1959.
After his playing career, Ernie’s father became a longtime television color commentator on TBS television.
Moreover, in 2001, he was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame. Johnson Jr. followed his father’s footsteps and established his career as a sportscaster.
Ernie Johnson lost his father on August 12, 2011, because of congestive heart failure. Similarly, his mother, Lois Johnson, passed away in January 2023 at the age of 94.
Additional Information
- As of 2024, Ernie Johnson has an estimated net worth of $16 million and an annual salary of $5 million as a sportscaster.
- Ernie Johnson is married to Cheryl Johnson and father to six children: two biological and 4 adopted children.
- His son Eric and daughter Maggie are biological, and Michael (who passed away in 2021), Carmen, Ashley, and Allison were adopted.
