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January 12, 2010
Without Boundaries
I went to a luncheon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City yesterday in honor of the late Eunice Johnson, who died last week at age 93. Eunice and her husband John were co-founders of Johnson Publishing Company, which owns Ebony (1.2 million circulation) and Jet (900,000 circulation) magazines, trailblazers in Black media and still among the leading media for the African-American community. The Johnsons were close friends of my parents in Chicago; here are my observations about this unique success story from 35 years of acquaintance.
When people question the ability of private enterprise to make positive societal change, I will cite the Johnson family. By employing and training, by imagining and pushing, by reinvesting in their community, they have left a proud legacy. I am fortunate to have known them.
- The Johnsons operated as partners, with John running the publishing group and Eunice the Ebony Fashion Fair, the traveling tour that brought high fashion to local communities. They had deep commitment to both their marriage and their business. As in our family, it was always hard to see where one part started and the other ended.
- They both had stories of perseverance about the early days of the company, when segregation was the standard in America. John told me that he was asked to take the back elevator at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to get to his room. He doggedly pursued advertising from brands such as Colgate or Seagram, pounding the pavement, through sheer force of will, persuading companies to take the chance. He told me that African Americans are incredibly loyal to companies who ask for their business.
- The family was very aggressive about providing new opportunities where few had been before. The Ebony Fashion Fair was the original platform for such notable models as Pat Cleveland, Judy Pace and Terri Springer, plus black designers such as Lenora Levon and L’Amour. John told me that he employed people even if they had less experience in a given area such as marketing because they would learn the business.
- Both the publishing and Fashion Fair units were agents of empowerment. As their daughter, CEO and Chairman, Linda Johnson Rice said yesterday, “We showed ourselves in living brown color. You deserve to wear these clothes. Dark-skinned models wearing pinks, yellows and reds….sometimes over the top flamboyant and at other times quite practical..we have been the unique laboratory.”
- The Johnsons worked until the end of their days. President Bill Clinton said they had an ageless vitality. “As long as you are doing good, you can be forever young.” He added, “They changed forever how the rest of America sees African Americans and how African Americans see themselves.”
- They gave back to the society. The Ebony Fashion Fair raised $55 million for the United Negro College Fund, hospitals and community centers.
Posted by Edelman at January 12, 2010 4:40 PM |
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Comments
Thanks for this very informative article on the Johnsons. I love Ebony and Jet magazines, and those dresses from Ebony Fashion Fair were elegant and beautiful. I still keep pages of fine designs I collected from their magazines going back several years, since I am a Artist/Designer and fashion fan, and get new ideas by looking at old ones when designing.
I think all women of color (I am not African American, but of Dutch Caribbean decent) are grateful to the Johnsons for their contributions they have made in the field of publishing and fashion.
I like the way you ended your article by saying: "I am fortunate to have known them".
Millions of people can say the same only if it means knowing them through their magazines and fashions.
Posted by: Glenda Brill at January 17, 2010 9:37 PM
Appreciated reading this. Over the last several months, it's been distressing to hear that Ebony and Jet have been unsuccessful in capturing the younger demographic and are on the brink. As a boomer, I find these magazines only marginally relevant while my Gen Y and Gen X relatives view them as total dinosaurs -- a real shame given the important role they've played for generations of Black folks. Let's hope Johnson Publishing figures out the solution soon!
Posted by: Julia Walker at January 22, 2010 9:25 AM
Reading this blog on the Johnson family was encouraging and influential from a public relations standpoint. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson’s work as a team in developing a successful fashion line and the world’s largest traveling fashion show, while staying rooted in the fundamentals of family life is legendary. As a future career-oriented wife and mother, I found their story to be very inspiring. I hope to have the same balance between my career and family, once I enter the field.
The fashion PR world alone is fast paced and competitive, but with the fight of segregation on their hands, the Johnson family made tremendous achievements. I find it amazing how much has changed in our society since the Johnson family started their business. Then, Mr. Johnson was asked to take the back elevator; now, our country has elected its first African American as president. Differences in skin colors are fading in the industry, and people are becoming more accepting of different ideas.
Posted by: Emily Bell at February 26, 2010 12:29 PM