You should never walk out of the house and not feel good about you.
Linda Johnson Rice
I'm an outgoing person. Once my parents passed away, it was just my daughter and myself. So, really, my friends are my family.
I would describe my mother as a steel magnolia. She was very intelligent, very persuasive.
Yves Saint Laurent has a special place in my heart because he was my mother's favorite designer.
They couldn't have a little kid occupying an important spot on the front row, so I sat in the back where all the models changed clothes. I remember vividly the rustling and the rush of the fabrics of the clothes and the swoosh of textures and color as they went by. I was in the back, but I had a front-row seat, in my opinion.
Almost 63 years ago, my father, John Johnson, named the publication 'Jet' because, as he said in the first issue, 'In the world today, everything is moving faster. There is more news and far less time to read it.' He could not have spoken truer words. We are not saying goodbye to 'Jet'; we are embracing the future as my father did in 1951.
We have signed an exclusive licensing agreement with a company called TurnerPatterson, another African-American company, and what I thought would be a great vehicle for 'Ebony,' since it is such a strong brand name with tremendous loyalty, is to grow that brand name even more across different areas.
'Ebony' is very inspirational and aspirational to its readers.
The bitter might be just an initial reaction of, 'Oh my goodness, it's sold,' but not really understanding fully that I will be chairman emeritus of the new company, which is Ebony Media Operations. It is African-American led and owned, and I have a seat on the board, and I also have an equity position in the company, so I'm still there.
The horse is my favorite animal.
I'm not so sure we've influenced the general market. But I'm not sure we're trying to do that.
We understand our audience. We write to the things that concern our audience. At one point, it was civil rights. You know, during the '50s and '60s, we were at the forefront.
We know in our hearts that none of us get ahead when some of us are stuck with second-class status.
I am struck by the memories of all of the fantastic Links ladies who worked so hard to host the Ebony Fashion Fair shows.
Johnson Publishing Co. has always had a first-class image. And until the day I die, I want to keep that image.
I think I'm curious by nature because I always want to learn, and I think you can learn from so many things around you on an everyday basis.
We've been here so long. The history and richness runs so deep within the community. We own this. It's personal. It's very personal.
In light of the overall economic challenges that are affecting many, including our potential corporate sponsors, we have arrived at a most difficult decision to cancel Ebony Fashion Fair's fall 2009 season.
In regards to black people, we have a treasure trove of information that nobody else really has.
Fairness and equality means that what you are never limits who you can be. It means that a young African-American man like my father can start a business with $500 and a dream. It means that a young African-American woman like my mother can walk into European fashion houses with her head held high and be treated with respect.
I think the most challenging aspect from my father's perspective was probably getting advertising. He really did pattern 'Ebony' after 'Look' and 'Life' magazines.
We're the curator for the African-American experience for the past, present and future. That's my job.
My playground was our company. That's really where I grew up.
There's a sense of authenticity that comes with 'Ebony.' There are very few national media outlets that are majority-African-American owned and really speak to our community with a sense of pride, authority, and ownership. That's what we do.
We have to tell our story at 'Ebony' and 'Jet' like no one else can. We have the authenticity; we have the believability. And I think that's what we have to own.
You have to stay current to compete.
My father is the CEO, and there's no question he is my boss. But we work very much in tandem.
We have to reach out to younger audiences. They need to see how they can see themselves as black women.
We're not trying to push the real provocative edge.
There was never a push for us to become more practical... Fantasy is what our audience has come to expect.
There's nothing you can't wear. There's nothing you can't do.
The key is to service a market that has not been serviced to its full potential.
We kept everything: every major event that's happened to African-Americans since 1945, with 'Ebony' as a repository for all those photographs and as a voice for all that happened.
We're in the media business. We're in the beauty business.
We are well-positioned to continue my father's legacy and move these businesses forward in the future.
I am delighted to resume the leadership of both companies.
A black entrepreneur has to be equally if not more prepared than a white to get his fair share of loan money.
I think somebody's got to be cutting-edge. It just depends how you want to market your magazines and how big you want them to be. We look upon competition as what it is. It's there, you pay attention to it, but you don't live by it. You have to go on and grind it out day to day and do the best you can with your magazine every single day.
'Ebony' has been more than a magazine; it is a movement.
JP Morgan Chase's investment in our firm is a logical outgrowth of our longstanding relationship.
My father's legacy is bigger than a building. It really is a tremendous business that he's built.
I don't know about you, but I've never been able to go into a store and buy a pair of jeans off the rack that fit perfectly.
We like to keep it short. If a story warrants more in-depth coverage, we will do it.
It is a sign of my mother's determination, confidence, and creativity that more than 50 years after launching the renowned Ebony Fashion Fair show, her timeless sense of style endures as a guidepost for today's fashion-loving women.
Johnson Publishing has been built on filling a need for African-Americans. This is what's happening with E Style. There was nothing that addressed the specific needs of African-American women.
We are going to do extensive market research because it is hard for black women to go into stores and get clothes that fit the way they should.
More black women are in the professional-managerial field, and they don't want to look like the guys sitting next to them in pinstriped suits.
'Ebony' is an integral part of my life, and I think it's very exciting to be able to help to move the brand forward.
I think you will find that a lot of young African-Americans are really searching for, 'Who am I?' and 'Where did I come from?' and 'What is my past?'
It was the Cosby family on the cover, but overlaid on that, it appeared to be a shattered glass. So it really wasn't just about the shattering of the Huxtables: it was really a shattering of the black family. And it was a question about that and where do we stand on that.
