Reminiscing Ebony, Jet, Essence magazine

[Dee Miller]

I remember when Jet, Essence, and Ebony magazines were must haves.  Really happy to see that they are still available and still black owned.  
 

I used to sit on the floor and study each page of Essence and Ebony. And if jJet magazine said it, it was the truth. Lol!

did you know that Essence Magazine was founded by four bruthas in 1970?  I didn’t. I assumed females were the creatives.

 

oh the good ol’days!  I just subscribed to Essence.  Can’t wait!!!

 

Did you know that the nations first  black magazine, called  FREEDOM’S JOURNAL and was published (1827-1829)? 
 

then the Negro Digest was launched in 1942

what are fondest memories of these magazines?  Do your ancestors recall or have they past down memories of Freedoms Journal or Negro Digest?

 

[Troy]

When I was a kid Ebony and Jet were ubiquitous. 

 

I learned about Freedom's Journal and Negro Digest after starting this site.

 

For the publication of Black Arts creative literature, no magazine was more important than the Chicago-based Johnson publication Negro Digest / Black World. Johnson published America’s most popular Black magazines, Jet and Ebony. Hoyt Fuller, who became the editor in 1961, was a Black intellectual with near-encyclopedic knowledge of Black literature and seemingly inexhaustible contacts. Because Negro Digest, a monthly, ninety-eight-page journal, was a Johnson publication, it was sold on newsstands nationwide. Originally patterned on Reader’s Digest, Negro Digest changed its name to Black World in 1970, indicative of Fuller’s view that the magazine ought to be a voice for Black people everywhere. The name change also reflected the widespread rejection of "Negro" and the adoption of "Black" as the designation of choice for people of African descent and to indicate identification with both the diaspora and Africa. The legitimation of "Black" and "African" is another enduring legacy of the Black Arts movement.  Read More about Negro Diget in this article ▶

 

 

I shared information about an article "Negro in Literature Today" in Ebony that I thought was a great issue for a magazine designed for the masses.