4June 2021
When Notorious B.I.G. dropped “Juicy” in 1995, he took a generation back to their roots with the iconic bars: “
It was all a dream / I used to read Word Up! magazine / Salt ‘N’ Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine”. Long before hip hop went pop, it was an underground scene shaped by local artists like Chicago photographer Raymond Boyd.
Growing up, Boyd used to page through Black-owned magazines like
Ebony and
Jet, marveling at pictures of the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, and Diana Ross – whose songs were sampled by hip hop artists he would later photograph. Reading their stories, Boyd was enthralled by tales of struggle and triumph against the odds. “It wasn’t so much gossip,” Boyd recalls. “You read about how they grew up, built their careers, artists who inspired them, how they set up their rehearsals and stage performances. That helped me to learn about them.”
Ebony Magazine is back at a digital publication abc7chicago.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc7chicago.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Ebony, the voice of Black America for more than 75 years, set for digital relaunch Monday
Updated Feb 28, 2021;
Posted Feb 28, 2021
An Ebony magazine (May 1968), part of a new exhibit at the Chicago History Museum in Chicago called Remembering Dr. King: 1929-1968 on Feb. 21, 2018. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/TNS)TNS
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Ebony, the Chicago-born magazine that served as the voice of Black America for more than 75 years, is set for a digital rebirth Monday under new owners.
Bought out of bankruptcy for $14 million in December by Louisville-based Bridgeman Sports and Media, a company owned by retired Milwaukee Bucks forward Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, Ebony will relaunch with a startup mentality, a lean operation and lofty aspirations. The storied publication’s print format and its Chicago roots will be relegated to the past.
ROBERT CHANNICK
Chicago Tribune (TNS)
Ebony, the Chicago-born magazine that served as the voice of Black America for more than 75 years, is set for a digital rebirth Monday under new owners.
Bought out of bankruptcy for $14 million in December by Louisville-based Bridgeman Sports and Media, a company owned by retired Milwaukee Bucks star Ulysses Junior Bridgeman, Ebony will relaunch with a startup mentality, a lean operation and lofty aspirations. The storied publication s print format and its Chicago roots will be relegated to the past. We re going to ask for grace, because we did this quickly, said Michele Ghee, 54, a media veteran who was named CEO of Ebony in January. But we are in a rush to show that we have great intentions.
Ebony to relaunch March 1 as online-only magazine chicagotribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chicagotribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.