Shaw's "One More Time"
Tennessee State Representative Johnny Shaw’s victory in the 2024 election means he’s only two years from retirement as he has repeatedly said this would be his last term if elected.
“I want to thank my family who stood by me while I did this,” he said. “Opal and my children have had to share me for a long time.”
But in retirement, it looks like Shaw may be returning to his roots.
Shaw learned the value of hard work and a willing spirit early in life. As a senior at Allen-White High School in Whiteville, Shaw began working for WBOL-AM, the local radio station in Bolivar as a custodian. Showing drive and promise, he would later become a radio announcer/DJ for the station and the first African-American DJ in Hardeman County. He was host of “Shaw’s Soul Time” during this period. After an attempt at recording an advertisement for a local business which resulted in learning that his black voice was not welcome in the commercial, he realized he could own a radio station and record whatever commercials and air whatever he wanted. This discrimination fueled his passion to purchase WBOL in 1987 when the previous owner informed him the station was for sale. Shaw purchased the station with his wife Opal after facing denials for loans to fund the purchase and it now houses his office and station in the very building and office in which he was denied a loan to purchase it.
Opposition from the FCC surrounding AM stations operating on a twenty-four-hour format led the Shaws to look into building an FM station in Bolivar. This new station would allow for the format and inventory desired, but had to be funded by a half-million dollar loan that, once approved, became the start of WOJG-FM in 1992. He has continued to operate under the name Shaw Broadcasting Company working with WMC-TV in Memphis TN at times for their five o’clock evening news program as well as airing gospel music and preaching programs.
During the 1990s, State Senator Page Walley held the seat Shaw now occupies and he would talk during a weekly radio show on WOJG about current legislative issues. Walley relates that “Johnny is known as a person of honesty and integrity. And you can always count on Johnny to have Hardeman County's best interests at heart. He's been a wonderful partner in these last three years that I’ve served in the Senate and he in the House, and we represent Hardeman County together. Johnny has an extraordinary amount of lived experience and knows the dynamics of West Tennessee. And so to me, he's been one that's been able to give me insights into the policy needs and the perceptions and the needs of a large part of the community, the African-American community in particular. I value Johnny's friendship and ability to be able to co-labor together to meet those needs.”
His career in politics began as a Hardeman County Commissioner in 1997. Shaw served nearly two terms (his wife Opal finished his second term) and then ran for and won the Democratic seat in the State House for District 80. This victory made him the first African-American to be elected to the House in rural West Tennessee since Reconstruction.
Shaw, while admitting he was disappointed in losing Hardeman County (4,194-3,740) on his way to winning the overall race (12,138-7,842) reiterated what he has said after each election.
He also said he was disappointed not to hear from Republican opponent Brad Grantham after the election, but said in the end, it wouldn’t effect how he did his job.
“I serve everyone in Hardeman County, whether they voted for me or not.”
Editor’s Note: Parts of this story appear in the 2024 Hardeman County Guide.