Written by Lavaille Lavette
Contributions by Common, Gabrielle Union,
Dwyane Wade, Sean Combs, Ciara,
Kimora Lee Simmons, Venus Williams
Published by Rizzoli
In 1945, John H. Johnson founded Ebony, the first nationally distributed magazine focused on the Black experience.
Patterned after the exceedingly popular Life magazine, Johnson wanted Ebony to achieve a similar task: high quality dynamic images and memorable stories that touched hearts across the country. But this time, those stories were almost exclusively about people that looked like him. From its beginnings, Ebony was a game-changing success and a mainstay on every Black household’s coffee table.
Lavaille Lavette has collected some of the most iconic covers combined with memories and remembrances from Black leaders, artists, and politicians (along with members of Ebony’s own publishers and editors) to create Ebony: Covering Black America.
Even before reading any of the glowing words from contributors, it is clear from the striking images that Ebony was not there just to appreciate and acknowledge – it was there to celebrate. To empower. To uplift the stories that had been left either untold or mistold by the existing structure of media.
The quality and fierceness of every cover will catch your eye, as it centers Black success and tells those stories from an authentic perspective not mirrored in any other publication at the time. Divided into several chapters such as Civil Rights and Justice, Love and Family, Ebony Man, and Ebony Woman, there is something for everyone to connect with. The last section of the book, simply titled Covers, moves you chronologically through those dynamic images that caught your eye at the corner store years ago. It is interesting to see the movement from entertainers and athletes to all representations of Black excellence including writers, politicians, and thought leaders.
There are surprises that people may have forgotten about in Ebony‘s 75 year history, such as Martin Luther King Jr’s “Advice for Living” column which ran from September 1957 to December 1958. The then-conscience of a nation doled out advice on everything from relationships to moral quandaries. This is a great example of what Ebony brought: a different way in which to view the Black leaders of the time. No more were Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, or others simply lauded for their athletic skill or only pressed about their sports abilities. Ebony gave them and many others a platform to truly express everything from their hopes and fears to their business acumen and activism so that they were no longer just an entertainer. These were people made whole by the written word (and some fabulous photography).
As Kimora Lee Simmons says in her introduction to the Ebony Women section, “Ebony is healing”. Other familiar voices in the celebration include former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, Magic Johnson, actress Holly Robinson Peete, Sean “Diddy” Combs, National Urban League President Marc Morial, and many more.
if your coffee table has been missing Black excellence since Ebony stopped going to print in 2019, this excellent compilation should fit the space quite nicely.
