Ebony: Covering the First 75 Years

Ebony magazine has been a cultural arbiter and a staple in black households in America since its first issue in November 1945. Founded by John H. Johnson, Ebony reported on, and continues to chronicle, every aspect of life from fashion to civil rights, entertainment, and cooking, and it has become the authoritative perspective for and about the black community. Curated by Ebony Publishing s president and publisher, Lavaille Lavette, this all-out feast of a book is packed with exclusive contributions by Ebony s editor in chief Tracey Ferguson, as well as a host of celebrities, influencers, and cultural icons, including Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Will Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Quincy Jones, Snoop Dogg, Magic Johnson, Deshaun Watson, and Eddie Levert. The book includes more than 600 covers and photographs featuring political forces such as Martin Luther King Jr., Michelle and President Barack Obama, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters; entertainers such as Diana Ross, Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Oprah Winfrey, Prince, and Kanye West; as well as sports heroes like Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali, Russell Westbrook, and Simone Biles. It also contains select articles, features, and reportage of note, including Martin Luther King Jr. s advice column, and Ebony Fashion Fair photo shoots, divided into categories found within the magazine, including the Gorgeous Women of Ebony: Fashion, Beauty, and Style, Ebony Love, Ebony Men, and Date With a Dish. Unique in the quality of its photographs and contributors, this book is a monumental milestone and inspiration for African American culture mavens as well as seventy-five years of Ebony readers.