Johari Amini
Johari Amini was born on this date in 1935. She was a Black theater teacher, director of several outstanding plays, educator, publisher, writer, and administrator.
She was born in Richmond, Va., as Jewel Christine McLawler to William and Alma (Bazel) McLawler. She attended Englewood High School, class of 1952, and then Kennedy-King Community College, where she earned her associate's degree in 1969. Then matriculated into Chicago State, attaining a BA Cum Laude, 1970. She was on the faculty at the University of Illinois, Chicago, in two departments - English (Composition and Literature) and Sociology (Black Studies).
She changed her name after her consciousness-raising by Haki R. Madhubuti, whom she met as a thirty-two-year-old freshman at Wilson Junior College. Johari is Swahili for “Jewel,” and Amini is Swahili for “honesty and fidelity.”
She was a co-founder of Third World Press (1967), the Institute of Positive Education/New Concept School (1969), and the Betty Shabazz International Charter School (1998) in Chicago, Illinois. She was also a health advocate and author of A Commonsense Approach to Eating (1975). At VCU, she taught theater and speech from 1972 to 1979 and founded and directed the Nyeusi Theatre Company, the first Black theatre company at the college.
She practiced chiropractic medicine in the Atlanta area and mentored countless young writers through the OBAC Writers’ Workshop, the Kuumba Theatre, and Gwendolyn Brooks Writers’ Workshop. Beginning in 1981, Professor Johari-Courts has been a member of the theatre faculty at Coppin State and the director of The Coppin Players. In 1986, she was awarded a Fulbright-Hays fellowship and traveled to West Africa to study the continuum of African and African American theatre.
As a mentor, she encourages students to audition and volunteer at college, community, and professional theaters. Courts-Amini has served in many positions that support her community values. From 1997 to 1999, she was on the Theater Advisory Panel of the Maryland State Arts Council. From 1999-present, Courts-Amini has been Chair of Hopewell Day Care Center; she served on the Board of Directors, The Arena Players Inc. was superintendent of Sunday School, First Baptist Church; on the Board of Directors, Hopewell Day Care Center; a board member, Baltimore Cable Access Co., and Artistic Director, The Arena Players.
Courts-Amini has received numerous honors, including Outstanding Advisor/Mentor from the Maryland Association for Higher Education (1999), Outstanding Teacher of the Year from the Coppin State Division of Arts and Sciences (1996), and the Artistic Achievement Award from The Arena Players. She was also named Woman of the Year Award in Cultural Arts, Alpha Zeta Chapter, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority in 1990, and honored with the name change of the Nyeusi Players to “Johari Players” at VCU.
She directed several notable productions such as Young Gifted and Broke, Guys and Dolls, Before It Hits Home, A Raisin in the Sun, Ulyssa’s Luck, Grace and Glorie, and Two Trains Running. In 1996, she was a directing intern for Tony Award-nominated director Marion McClinton at Washington’s Arena Stage in The Coming of the Hurricane.
Courts-Amini was married to Milton Lee Courts Sr., and they had two children: Milton Lee Courts Jr. and Khalilah Kai Courts. Dr. Johari M. Amini-Hudson passed away on December 12, 2023.
The Poetry of Black America
Anthology of the 20th Century.
Edited by Arnold Adoff, introduction by Gwendolyn Bennett
Copyright 1973, Harper Collins Publishers
ISBN 0-06-020089-8
