No.2.4: Black Magazines
I was 6 years old when I had a subscription to JET magazine!
My paternal grandfather helped me get a subscription to JET magazine around the age of 6 years old. I would filter through the ink covered thin pages dreaming of my wedding photos being featured in the JET Love section. I even wondered if I could ever be featured as a JET Beauty of the Week. Wishful thinking right?!
Publications such as JET, Essence and Ebony were critical in being representations of Black images. Delivering Black news. Celebrating Black Hollywood and sharing Black stories. Whether they arrived in your mailbox weekly or every month, they became a staple in your home. These publications shared stories from the past and present. A clear memory from my childhood is flipping through the pages reading about HBCUs and seeing the faces of Black women who looked like me. This is the importance of representation. I saw aspects of the lives of people within the Black community that existed outside of my home. I remember taping a picture of Florence “Flo Jo” Joyner on my wall because I loved her nail designs. I just knew I was going to be a track star. (Just like the JET Beauty of the Week, I didn’t accomplish that either) But still, she looked like me and she was an Olympic Gold medalist. She was a role model for young brown skinned girls.
JET, Essence and Ebony are just a few of the more known publications. If one lived in Harlem, New York around 1922 through 1992 then they may be familiar with the Amsterdam News publication. Harlem was the headquarters of the newspaper that published the current local and national Black news. There were many newspapers like Amsterdam News. Being that publications that catered to the local community offered a sense of unity and ownership for the events and activities that occurred throughout the year.
Along with major and local publications, Black organizations published their own newspapers to keep interested parties abreast about their respective visions. The Black Panther Party published the Black Panther newspaper highlighting the injustices towards the Black community, laying out their messages and seeking membership. Prior to the existence of the Black Panther Party, Frederick Douglas began publishing The North Star in 1847 as a means of sharing the stories of Black folks and those who were supporters of the anti-slavery movement.
Along with these publications, we can’t forget the magazines that captured the essence of Black hairstyles. Magazines such as Black Hair and Hype Hair featured all of the latest tips for hair care with the who’s who of women in Black Hollywood on the cover. Whether you were natural or relied on the “creamy crack”, you had plenty of images to show your hairdresser to get you ready for the week.
Due to how we consume information nowadays, many magazines are no longer printed but rather are online magazines. (I personally prefer the actual magazine). This has given publications the ability to continuously provide updated information to their audience as it occurs in real time.
If you were to talk with your elders, I'm sure they could name other magazines or newspapers that were relevant to them during their time. There were publications that pertained to various subject matters. Whether it was about Hollywood, business, technology, politics or fashion;they shaped how we view ourselves as well as the world’s view. They documented all of the attributes of our culture and community creating a resource we can use today as a historical reference.
Below are a few Black publications that you may or may not recognize:
Vibe Magazine
Sister 2 Sister Magazine
Black Enterprise Magazine
Upscale Magazine
Heart & Soul
Afro American Newspaper
The Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper
The Atlanta Tribune newspaper
Do you have any old magazines or newspapers lying around? Do any of your relatives collect them? Take some time to read through them. Pick apart the headlines and featured topics. Then share with your circle of friends to spark a conversation. Get acquainted with information you may not have been aware of previously or reconnect with stories you may recall from your youth.
