The next time somebody asks something like “Man, do we REALLY need Ebony and Jet?’…
What you will find is more than just a collection of magazines.
You will discover a half a century of black life, chronicled on paper, in a way that is more authentic than any collection of rap songs, hollywood movies or television shows has ever been or ever will be.
Hip hop (that’s my generation) takes for granted that black folks will always have control over our self-depictin in the media – somewhere. We grew up with BET and these magazines readily available and came of age watching them become MAINSTREAM. That kind of comfort and familiarity allowed us to clown them, in the same children kids clown their dads when they cut grass in church socks and dress shoes. It’s pre-emptive clowning, done to let folks know WE are way cooler than that.
You should hear us:
‘EVERY WEEK! Another story about FAMU’s new president!’
‘Man, another issue with these bootleg black college homecoming queens? Dawg, why they can’t get hotter women?’
‘Is GM the only company buying ads for EBONY?!’
‘Don’t we have more IMPORTANT things to discuss than a JET BEAUTY?!’
But here’s the thing. These magazines are not perfect, but they represent the first, radical steps we took in presenting our own lives in our own way.
So, if you wanna know what’s been on our minds since 1950, holla at these links.
You got a problem with Ebony and Jet?
You got a problem with us. (And that goes for some of ‘us’, too.)
