1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: a show that flips through the pages of history to 4 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: deliver old news in a new way. I'm Gabe Louzier, 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: and today we're celebrating the cultural institution of Ebony, a 6 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: magazine that sought to portray the everyday experience of Black 7 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: Americans from Harlem to Hollywood. The day was November one. 8 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: Ebony magazine, a journal chronicling the lives of African Americans, 9 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: released its inaugural issue. That first issue contained fifty two 10 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: pages and was sold for twenty five cents per copy. 11 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: The initial press run was thousand copies, all of which 12 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: were swiftly sold. Over the next seventy four years, the 13 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: magazine would serve as a vital voice and cultural lens 14 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:16,279 Speaker 1: through which black communities could see ennobled reflections of their lives, 15 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: both as they were and as they would like them 16 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: to be. The story of Ebony began with the twenty 17 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: five year old newspaper editor named John H. Johnson. At 18 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: the time, the lives and stories of Black Americans were 19 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 1: not featured prominently in white owned magazines, so Johnson decided 20 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:42,279 Speaker 1: to remedy the problem by starting his own. In two, 21 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: he took out a five hundred dollar loan, using his 22 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: mother's furniture as collateral, and started his first publication, Negro Digest. 23 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: It was patterned after Reader's Digest and highlighted the role 24 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: of black soldiers fighting in World War Two through years later, 25 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: Johnson built on the success of The Digest by launching Ebony, 26 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:12,119 Speaker 1: a magazine of photojournalism modeled after Life Magazine. Johnson believed 27 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 1: that people need to have a healthy image of themselves 28 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 1: in order to demand respect from others. African Americans had 29 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: been denied that need in the white press, and Ebony 30 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: aimed to change that. On the magazine's thirtieth anniversary in 31 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 1: Johnson wrote the following in a publisher's statement quote. Ebony 32 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: was founded to provide positive images for blacks in a 33 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: world of negative images and non images. It was founded 34 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: to project all dimensions of the black personality in a 35 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:54,079 Speaker 1: world saturated with stereotypes. Ebony arrived at the perfect time 36 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: to institute such a change. It launched just two months 37 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: after the end of World War Two, during a period 38 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 1: of renewed optimism, when the dream of a new more 39 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: equitable America seemed within reach. That year, as veterans of 40 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: the armed forces returned from war, Black Americans started making 41 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: more adamant demands for equal rights. Over the next six years, 42 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: these cries for democracy began to affect real change in 43 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 1: the nation, challenging Jim Crow segregation and laying the foundation 44 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: for what would ultimately become the Civil Rights movement. Johnson 45 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: and the staff of Ebony Magazine were right there at 46 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: the forefront. They addressed issues that impacted the community, such 47 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: as poverty and black neighborhoods, and the development of black children. 48 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: Ebony also served the community by providing affirming images that 49 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: reflected the success and progress of African Americans. The key 50 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: to meeting this goal was the group of talented photojournalists 51 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: who document it and shared Black life through images. This 52 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: visual commentary plumbed the depths of black tragedies and triumphs 53 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 1: to showcase the dignity and humanity of its subjects. The 54 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: magazine's roster of staff photographers included Isaac Sutton, David Jackson, 55 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: and Pulitzer Prize winner Monetta Sleet Jr. Among many others. Together, 56 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:30,039 Speaker 1: they photographed prominent cultural figures such as Nina Simone, Shirley Chisholm, 57 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: and Coretta Scott King. The life and story captured in 58 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 1: these images made Ebony of fixture in homes and businesses 59 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 1: for decades to come. By its tenth the anniversary, the 60 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: magazine was being read by half a million people, and 61 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: by its twentieth year, readership was at nine hundred thousand. 62 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: Surveys of black communities found that readers preferred Ebony to 63 00:04:55,080 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: other similar publications by fifteen to one. By the Ease, 64 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: that hold had extended even further, with marketers claiming that 65 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 1: Ebony was reaching more than forty percent of all the 66 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: Black adults in America, a reach that exceeded that of 67 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: any other general interest magazine. That same decade, John H. 68 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 1: Johnson became the first black person to appear on the 69 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: Forbes list of the four hundred wealthiest Americans. By that point, 70 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: Ebony was the flagship title of the Johnson Publishing Company, 71 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: a media conglomerate that included fifteen magazines, as well as books, cosmetics, records, 72 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 1: and film, television and radio productions. Ebony's success continued into 73 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: the twenty one century, reaching a peak readership of ten 74 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: million people in two thousand five, it's sixtieth year in print. Ultimately, 75 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: Ebony Magazine and Johnson Publishing as a whole became victims 76 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: of their own success. By normalizing the presence of black 77 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: Americans and news stories and advertising, the company prompted other 78 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 1: publications to become more representative as well. As time went on, 79 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 1: depictions of blackness were no longer the rarity they were 80 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: when Ebony first hit news stands and made history. That's 81 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:21,359 Speaker 1: a testament to the success of Johnson's endeavor. He achieved 82 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,840 Speaker 1: what he set out to do, but in the end, 83 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: it came at the cost of his own company. In sixteen, 84 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: Ebony was sold to a group of investors, and its 85 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: vast photo archive was purchased by a collective of cultural foundations, 86 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, 87 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: which pledged to make digital versions of the photos available 88 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: to the public free of charge. From its debut in 89 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: ninet to its final print issue in twenty nine, Ebony 90 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: remained the anchor of Johnson Publishing and a pillar of 91 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 1: the communities it sought to represent. The magazine, like many others, 92 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: is no longer with us, but the transformative effect it 93 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: had on American media and culture still is and hopefully 94 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: and always will be. I'm Gabe Lousier and hopefully you 95 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: now know a little more about history today than you 96 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: did yesterday. You can learn even more about history by 97 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 1: following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t d 98 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: i HC Show, and if you have any comments or suggestions, 99 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: you can always send them my way at this Day 100 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: at I heart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays 101 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: for producing the show, and thank you for listening. I'll 102 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 1: see you back here again tomorrow for another Day in 103 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: History class. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit 104 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 1: the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or where every sen 105 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.