An era came to an end on Sunday, when Eunice Johnson, widow of Ebony Magazine Founder John Johnson, died at the age of 93. Mrs. Johnson not only chose the name for Ebony Magazine, but she also ran the Ebony Fashion Fair, one of the most respected fashion shows in the world.
Ebony Magazine was the flagship of Johnson Publishing, created in 1945 as a black alternative to Life Magazine. The name Ebony was chosen to reflect the beauty of black ebony wood. Mrs. Johnson chose the name of the magazine and ultimately ran the Ebony Fashion Fair as it changed the world.
The Ebony Fashion Fair started as a fundraiser for a hospital in the 1950s and eventually grew to a traveling show that has been held over 4,000 times and earned $55 million dollars for charity.
“It brought to the lower-middle-class black people a sense of what fashion really was. She gave the local community a chance to see these clothes,” said Andre Leon Talley, editor at large for Vogue magazine.
The black community can learn valuable lessons on entrepreneurship and persistence from the Johnson family, who found ways to create opportunities when there were none. Their achievements and contributions will never be forgotten.
Courtesy of Aol.com
