The Black Man Breaks Down the Downfall of Two Towering Images of Black Pride
Sometimes I feel stupid standing up for something that maybe doesn’t mean anything. Sometimes I wonder if I have already been bought. Sometimes I think about whether I’m taking my blackness too far; maybe I care too much, perhaps things aren’t as important as I thought. For some reason, I grew up believing being black meant something. Some things have a soul. Some things are not meant to be sold.
Quietly, however, two things that meant the world to me are slowly but surely being sold. I would have said three, but I’m over the death of BET.
If you are privately emotional about Essence hiring a white managing director for its editorial content, you are not alone. If you are quietly reeling about Ebony selling its stake to JP Morgan (oh, you didn’t know that?), you have company. Two of the biggest giant puzzle pieces in the convoluted and complicated puzzle of black history are in danger of being compromised. The black blogosphere started capturing sales and buyouts last year, causing a cacophony of outrage from loyal readers. But it didn’t start in 2010. It was five years earlier.
March 2005
What Happened: Whispering like a golf course announcer and tip-toeing like a sneaky teenager, Time Warner subsidiary Time INC buys up the remaining interest in Essence Communication, owners of Essence Magazine, for a secretive, but expensive sum. (Rumors were the deal was at $170 million)
The Black Man’s Take: An obviously respected African-American publication and household name, Essence Magazine became an attractive acquisition target for a mainstream media conglomerate. What I don’t understand is why Essence wanted to sell. When Time Inc. bought 51 percent of Essence Communications in 2001, it was Michelle Ebanks, then a VP at the company, who led the discussion on behalf of Time. Shortly thereafter, then-Essence CEO Ed Lewis offered her a job as group publisher. Why 51%? Why give away majority of the magazine?
That deal took an established company successfully targeting the African-American consumer out of the hands of the black ownership and control and placed it firmly under the guidance and ownership of shareholder-driven (and overwhelmingly majority white) conglomerates.
Was Ebony next? All signs pointed to yes because…
August 2005
What Happened: Ebony Founder and Johnson Publishing CEO John H. Johnson died.
The Black Man’s Take: This was major, because he was without a shadow of a doubt, the most underrated man of influence in black America. I have him listed at #4 on the all time greatest black Americans in the 20th Century behind Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey. People look at Ebony now and don’t think much of it. Many don’t know that magazine literally ushered in the black middle class and created an empire that spawned something African-Americans desperately needed.
Positive self-esteem.
Think about how important that is to us. Would we be fighting over light skin vs. dark skin, killing each other over dime bags, pulling weaves out of our hair, living under the poverty line and accepting failure if we had better collective esteem? Of course we wouldn’t.
What was more important was that he retained 100% ownership and stability of his Johnson Publishing empire for over 60 years. SIXTY YEARS. S-I-X-T-Y Y-E-A-R-S. That’s a long time. He used his blood, sweat and tears to put up the Ebony Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. When Johnson died, the fear was that Ebony would undertake a major attack in ownership and stability. He left his business to his (adopted) daughter Linda Johnson Rice with a reported $496 million in revenue and 1916 employees, 99% of which were black.
To calm concerns of black people in the know everywhere, Directing Spokesperson and Promotions Manager LaTrina Blair made a statement in August 2005. She understood that black ownership was the key in attracting black consumers.
“Our president and CEO Linda Johnson Rice is dedicated and committed to continuing the phenomenal legacy her father, John H. Johnson, began sixty years ago. Johnson Publishing Company will remain a private, family-owned business. It is important to preserve our voice and to be able to tell our own stories as much as possible.”
February 2008
What Happened: LaTrina Blair was out. She was no longer at Ebony. She’s now at U.S. Cellular as a Communications Manager.
The Black Man’s Take: I think that’s worth noting.
September 2009
What Happened: Newsweek drops the bomb article saying that Ebony was up for grabs and companies like Time Warner (which also had Essence) Viacom (which also had BET) and other private investors wanted. Also, I think I pooped myself when I read that article.
The Black Man’s Take: Linda Johnson Rice, despite being groomed for the position by her father proved she was no match for the changing times. Ebony didn’t take advantage of the internet wave, became stuck in their ways, NAACP-style, and kept putting out the same format and layout. It was painful. It was like an old grandmother that still wants to cook chicken in lard. Hey grandma. We have vegetable oil now.
Furthermore, Rice probably wasn’t prepared for what I’d like to call the Extremely Dangerous and Potentially Racist Advertisement Takeover Project That Has Too Much Power Over Stuff and Can Control the Ebb and Flow of Black Publications or for short, the EDPRATTPHTMPOSCCEFBP. Ad revenue for Ebony was dying like the fish epidemic last year. Here’s part of the reason why. Five companies own 75% of the $300 billion advertisement industry.
1. IPG (Interpublic Group)
2. WPP (Wire and Plastic Products)
3. Omnicom Group
4. Publicis Groupe
5. Havas
These conglomerates just buy stakes like a Bravo Housewife cops shoes. Do the executives and board members that sit on these companies talk and sit on the same boards of buyout companies like Viacom, Time or JP Morgan Chase? Hmm. Could revenue from advertisements be controlled for a particular publication? Could there be purpose to drying up money and forcing a buyout? Hmm. It’s at least worth thinking about.
February 2010
What Happened: Magic Johnson was trying to buy Ebony, but talks fizzled.
The Black Man’s Take: After months of Ebony basically screaming that they were for sale, I would have loved to see Magic purchase the company. I believe his intention was to upgrade it and blend it into the internet. I don’t know why it didn’t go through, but it seems they could agree on something. Was the price too high? Were the profits too low? Was Ebony asking for too much? Was Magic low balling them? Who knows? But I think it would have made sense.
March 2010
What Happened: Mikki Taylor leaves Essence, causing black women’s weaves to fall off in shock.
The Black Man’s Take: This got major blog coverage, much more so than the 2007 departure of even greater influence Susan Taylor. But back in 2007, black people didn’t know about blogs like that so the coverage wasn’t so deep. We started learning that other seemingly immovable forces were leaving the magazine in droves. Bad times.
July 2010
What Happened: Essence Hires a White Female Fashion Editor
The Black Man’s Take: Here’s what I wrote in my column covering the issue:
So did Time Warner push the hire of Placas? Who knows…
Will Placas’ expertise push Essence into new genres and save the magazine? She just might. With a new perspective, it may bring attention to other nationalities and cultures; uniting women for a better cause (and profit).
But at this point, does it matter? It was supposed to be a magazine for black women… Maybe things are changing. The question is, is it for better or worse?
August 2010
What Happened: Ebony Hires Desiree Rogers to be the CEO. Linda Johnson Rice remains Chairwoman.
The Black Man’s Take: Shut up black people! See this black woman we hired? See? She’s black! Blickety Blackety Black! Forget about the white fashion editor already!
An interesting hire considering she was rolling with the Republican Party at one point, and also ran the Illinois State Lottery. I mean, I’m not judging but… Moving on, she was also the one who was responsible for the infamous “guest list” issue, missing on uninvited guests to Obama’s private party, which subsequently got her fired. But hey, other than that, she’s really beautiful and I’m sure she’s a good person.
November 2010
What Happened: Johnson Publishing SELLS Their Chicago Headquarters Building to Columbia College of Chicago… for a library.
The Black Man’s Take: REALLY????? Am I the only one who read John H. Johnson’s autobiography? That’s black history!!!
Also in November 2010
What Happened: Angela Burt-Murray, only the Editor-in-Chief of Essence, is out.
The Black Man’s Take: This is what happens when you give majority ownership of your company away to someone else.
July 2011
What Happened: Essence Hires a White Managing Editor and Ebony Sells Minority Stake to JP Morgan
The Black Man’s Take: What we are seeing is the stripping of who we are. Say what you want about me; Nathan’s crazy, Nathan cares too much, Nathan is too sensitive. But when a black-owned leverage company buys a Hollywood company like Dreamworks or 20th Century Fox or Universal, wake me up.
It’s happening.
The reason I loved John H. Johnson was because he made it very clear. Under no circumstances, do you sell out. Once upon a time, Johnson headed a publication called Negro Digest. At some point, due to hardships and declining revenue, he did not sell it out to others that wanted to buy it. Rather, he let it die. He closed the shop and brainstormed to find something even better.
He searched, pillaged and pushed for the best writers and photographers and started something called Ebony. He used his creativity to spawn something bigger and better. But he never sold out.
Soon, Ebony will receive a buyout much like Essence. It is only a matter of time. Business analysts will tell us to shut up about it. You can’t have emotions in business. Black people like myself have an attachment emotionally to specific brands because they mean so much to them. Motown, Black Enterprise, Ebony and Essence. They stand out because they existed as havens from racism and painful stereotype in America. They were important businesses that also acted as healing mechanisms that protected our culture and informed of our future. Now that culture is being bought out. If everything is about business, what is the point? What is sacred if everything is for sale?
All I can hope is that in three years when Clutch Magazine is on top, they don’t cave into the sale. Here’s to hoping one of their founders see my plea.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
All things that are black are a state of mind, for all things come from God, not man. Through my tour in life I found that when the mind of an individual who may be consider black such as Martin Luther king, Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, Tiger woods, and the great barrack Obama, is enlighten by their brothers, and not what we consider white, they soar beyond the natural ability of the intellect of the human mind, black is a color that represents all, therefore I say, all are the children of the first born, Adam, our father, for he was of the soil, and dark, yet his wife eve was white, for its through them that life came, for racism equal a motivator to get to the creator, for it is an illusion, as money is a motivator, as a personal trainer of life, the fruit given to our mother eve the source of our destruction, for this we are still continuing through history. There is nothing wrong with segregation, for it brings purity and cleanliness to the spirit, and prevents the contaminated mind from imprisoning the spirited soul. For black in America has distorted the core and true significance of life. Black is life, the first, not destruction, black is hard work, Black is the covering of all that is securing like the soil that covers the color of the earth, the scale of a tree, the covers of the inner beauty of the tree, and the soil that holds the vine together. We have destroy the notion of black with violence, hatred as our father Cain, and the destruction of our brother, son of eve, Abel, for she was give the promise of knowledge, and our father was punish with working the soil, therefore, his son Cain was marked, why her son enjoy, this is why we are rule by the lesser, our younger brothers, for we are not together, no one else puts us down but ourselves, we hate ourselves first, therefore, we will be hated by our surrounding. We look up to the sky for hope, when the earth is more nourishment than the sky. For where the sky is, there are principalities and powers, but where the earth is there is hope for it is life, and keep our feet grounded. So, I say to the old man Landrus Clarks, his View on blacks are ancient, chaotic, for he himself represent, the very thing that destroy the human race, deceit, pride, arrogance, lust, destructive ambition, Unhealthy pursuit of fame, that will never come, cause his place is hell, for he is not the pinnacle of the earth, but the very filth, that demons use to vomit on God fearing soul. Nevertheless, I love him still, and say peace be still, but the truth most be told. You are nothing, neither black Landrus, you are not black enough, I am the mother Land, and I am life, hope, grace, peace, true ambition, forgiveness, and I will succeed in all I do, and you shall see me soar on the wings of the cloud why your restless pursuit of fame, will perish with you, neither your father, made it, and neither will you make it. Marry Christmas. For God is with me, and has brought me through all you put me through. Peace be still
This article is heart wrenching and at best just another indicator that for all the hollering about being Black and how difficult it is we are still shy of self esteem and worth. The lost of such great publications is the same as losing track of your heritage and adopting the heritage of another person or race. The fact that a white established company saw the same thing Viacom saw is testament to the ingenuity of Black business men and women to create something positive. It is also interesting to note the observance of the writer that the lack of stepping into the electronic age is part and parcel of the downfall of this great magazine. It is my contention that as a race of people we are always late to the party in technology, science, financial and other issues. Fortunately we have a great school for Medicine which is Morehouse College that has a great reputation for graduating some of the best Doctors in the US. As a business owner of Clickaticket I have been building this company for 12 years its a labor of love and I am similar in thought to Mr. Johnson, keep it whole and in the family. Yet, again I know that eventually if their is no real interest in running what daddy built then it will be sold if it has a niche market that will benefit the family financially. I hope that I am dead and gone when this happens. Black ownership is critical today and needed. The problem if anything is that we have lost that pride of ownership and building. If you doubt it look at what integration did for Auburn avenue in Atlanta and other prosperous Black communities. Talented young Blacks taken and blended into white American business culture. Is it no wonder that we have sold almost everything cultural or sacred to Black heritage. I Heard a Rumor! An obituary for Blackmen and women and children too! There was no one left to shed a tear! Landrus S Clark
This was a great article and a reminder to hold onto what we create! Peace!
well said, the black man’s black man. a few things worth noting about johnson publishing: they were incredibly reliant on advertising from the automotive industry. detroit’s fiscal troubles translated into serious lost ad revenue for johnson publishing. also, they haven’t taken digital seriously at all and waited far too long to redesign the publications which resulted in declining circulation and lack of relevance in the community, which translates to more lost revenue. the deal with JPM definitely will provide the capital to make changes to the products. however, make no mistake–the investors now have control. don’t be surprised if you see JPM-connected folks on the board and among management at Johnson Publishing. Sadly, it is no longer a black owned company.