Johnson Publishing Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing, media, cosmetics |
| Founded | November 1942 |
| Founder | John H. Johnson |
| Defunct | April 2019 |
| Fate | Filed for bankruptcy liquidation; publications sold |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | John H. Johnson (founder), Linda Johnson Rice (final CEO) |
| Products | Magazines (Ebony, Jet), books, television programming, cosmetics |
Number of employees | 1400 (1980) |
Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. (JPC) was an American publishing enterprise established in November 1942 by African-American businessman John H. Johnson, with its main office located in Chicago, Illinois. Remaining privately owned and under Johnson’s leadership until his passing in 2005, JPC played a pivotal role in shaping African American representation in media, primarily through its flagship magazine, Ebony. The company also produced Jet, a weekly news publication from 1951 until it shifted exclusively to digital format in 2014. During the 1980s, JPC diversified into film and television production.
Linda Johnson Rice, daughter of the founder, was the final chairman and CEO. Encountering various operational difficulties, JPC sold its historic headquarters at 820 S. Michigan Avenue in 2011 and eventually divested its publishing assets by 2016. After 76 years of business, the company filed for liquidation in April 2019. A noteworthy transaction occurred in July 2019 when the valuable photo archives of Ebony and Jet were purchased for $30 million by art and educational organizations dedicated to preserving public accessibility.
JPC’s range of products encompassed books, magazines, television programming, and cosmetics, generating around US$90 million in revenue circa 2013. As a prominent African-American-owned media company, Johnson Publishing’s strategic approach and leadership fostered a lasting impact on the mass media landscape.
History
Johnson Publishing Company was initiated in 1942 by John Harold Johnson, who at the time worked as an office clerk for Chicago’s Supreme Life Insurance Company. Using a $500 loan secured against his mother’s furniture, Johnson sent out $2 charter subscription offers to policyholders of Supreme Life. This effort garnered over 3,000 subscriptions, which financed the printing of his first magazine, Negro Digest, launched in November 1942. By mid-1943, the publication's monthly circulation had grown to 50,000 copies.
Headquarters
The landmark building at 820 S. Michigan Avenue, designed by African-American architect John Moutoussamy, holds the distinction of being the first African-American-owned structure in downtown Chicago and remains the only high-rise in Chicago designed by an African American.
Initially, Johnson Publishing operated out of the Supreme Life Building at 3501 S. Parkway Ave between 1942 and 1943. The company then acquired property at 5619 S. State Street in 1943 before relocating again in 1949 to 1820 South Michigan Avenue. In December 1971, it moved into its custom-built headquarters at 820 S. Michigan Avenue.
In the autumn of 2017, Chicago officially recognized the Johnson Building as a city landmark. Following its purchase from Columbia College Chicago, developer 3L Real Estate transformed the structure into 150 rental apartments while preserving essential architectural details. The original rooftop sign featuring Ebony/Jet remains intact as both a historic marker and an amenity for residents with views of Grant Park and Lake Michigan.
Joe Slezak, CEO of 3L Real Estate, highlighted efforts to preserve authentic design elements from the 1970s era by working alongside interior designer Elizabeth Watters to maintain original wood paneling and furnishings inspired by Johnson Publishing’s initial interiors.
Of particular note is the psychedelic Ebony Test Kitchen, which was donated by 3L Real Estate to Landmarks Illinois and subsequently transferred to New York's Museum of Food and Drink.
Staff
By the early 1970s, the organization had grown to a workforce of 300 employees, with 175 stationed at its Chicago headquarters and the remainder distributed among offices in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington D.C. By 1980, the employee count had surged to 1,400. Members of the Johnson family held significant positions: Eunice W. Johnson established and led the Ebony Fashion Fair while also acting as secretary and treasurer; John H. Johnson Jr. worked as a staff photographer for Ebony and Jet until his passing in 1981; and Linda Johnson Rice, who previously served as fashion coordinator for Ebony Fashion Fair, was appointed CEO in 2003. The company also employed distinguished photographers such as Bryan Berteaux.
Impact
While founder John H. Johnson prioritized profitability, he simultaneously secured substantial cultural influence. His magazines addressed an underserved audience and transformed the portrayal of African Americans in media through impactful photojournalism that left a lasting historical legacy.
Publications
The company's inaugural magazine, Negro Digest, debuted in 1942 inspired by Reader's Digest. It continued publication until 1951 when it was succeeded by Ebony and Jet. The title was revived in 1961 under the name Black World, which lasted until its discontinuation in 1976. Launched in November 1945, Ebony highlighted African-American culture and accomplishments, reaching a peak readership exceeding 1.3 million. Introduced in 1951, Jet was a compact weekly magazine known as "The Weekly Negro News Magazine," covering African American entertainers, societal issues, public figures, and featuring "Jet's Beauty of the Week." In 2011, Jet transitioned from weekly to bi-weekly issues before moving exclusively online by July 2014, ending print publication in June 2014. Additionally, the company maintained a book division that published titles including The New Ebony Cookbook and the contentious Forced into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream.
Film and television
In 1954, the company produced the film The Secret of Selling the Negro Market, designed to motivate advertisers to invest in African-American media outlets.
Ebony/Jet Celebrity Showcase
On August 1, 1982, the company introduced Ebony/Jet Celebrity Showcase, a television program derived from its magazines. The show was eventually discontinued due to founder John H. Johnson's dissatisfaction with guest quality. A revamped version launched nationally in September 1985 as a weekly syndicated program hosted by Greg Gumbel and Deborah Crable. By 1987, it reached nearly 92% of Black television households in the U.S. and 73% of all U.S. households, becoming the foremost Black-focused interview and entertainment show. The series concluded its run in October 1993.
Ebony Fashion Fair and cosmetics
From 1958 until 2009, the company managed the Ebony Fashion Fair, a traveling fashion event initiated by Eunice W. Johnson that generated funds for scholarships and charitable causes throughout North America. The fashion fair ceased operations following Johnson's illness and subsequent passing. In addition, the company launched Fashion Fair Cosmetics in 1973 to serve women of color; at one point, this brand was stocked in over 2,500 retail locations worldwide. In April 2019, a UK creditor compelled the sale of Fashion Fair Cosmetics’ UK assets. The brand was reintroduced in 2022 across more than 250 Sephora outlets as well as online platforms.
WJPC radio
In May 1973, Johnson Publishing Company purchased the WGRT radio station for $1.8 million, subsequently rebranding it as WJPC and commencing broadcasts on November 1 of that year. WJPC earned the distinction of becoming Chicago's inaugural Black-owned radio station, primarily featuring R&B and soul genres until its divestiture in December 1994.
Decline
By May 2009, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, responsible for printing Ebony and Jet magazines, secured a mortgage nearing $12 million on Johnson Publishing’s headquarters due to outstanding printing invoices. Two years later, in July 2011, JPMorgan acquired a minority stake in the company and gained representation on its board, as reported by then-CEO Desiree Rogers.
Sale of headquarters, building plans
Johnson Publishing parted with its nearly four-decade-old headquarters at 820 S. Michigan Avenue in January 2011, selling it to Columbia College Chicago. Subsequently, in November 2017, Columbia College sold the property to 3L Real Estate for $10 million. The new owners transformed the building into upscale residential apartments under the name 820Michigan, while preserving the iconic Johnson Publishing Company sign displaying the logo and flagship magazine titles atop the structure.
Sale of publications, photo archives, and bankruptcy
To alleviate financial burdens, Johnson Publishing put its extensive Ebony/Jet photographic archives—spanning more than seven decades—up for sale in March 2015. The following year, in June 2016, Clear View Group, a private equity firm based in Austin, Texas, acquired Ebony and Jet magazines and established Ebony Media Corp. Meanwhile, Johnson Publishing retained ownership of its specialty cosmetics line and fashion-related publications.
On April 9, 2019, Johnson Publishing filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in Chicago. The filing listed between 200 and 999 creditors and reported assets and liabilities each ranging from $10 million to $50 million. While acknowledging the company's historic significance since its establishment in 1942, financial difficulties were cited as the reason for bankruptcy.
Shortly thereafter, on April 22, 2019, Mellody Hobson of Ariel Investments and filmmaker George Lucas sought control of the Ebony photographic archives. These archives had been used as collateral for a $12 million loan from Capital Holdings V, an entity owned by Hobson and Lucas. In July of that year, an auction was held in Chicago where over four million items from the collection were sold. A consortium led by the J. Paul Getty Trust secured the archives with a winning bid of $30 million. The collection is planned to be housed at both the Getty Research Institute and the National Museum of African American History and Culture to enable public digital access. Archivist Steven Booth has been engaged since 2022 in cataloging and preserving this vast archive.
In January 2020, Johnson Publishing auctioned off its remaining significant asset—an art collection consisting of 87 pieces by artists such as Carrie Mae Weems, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Dindga McCannon, Kenneth Victor Young, and Walter J. Williams—raising close to $3 million.
Legacy and tributes
In 2010, Chicago Public Schools alongside Noble Network of Charter Schools inaugurated Johnson College Prep, a public charter high school situated in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood named in honor of John H. and Eunice Johnson.
Between March 2013 and May 2014, the Chicago History Museum hosted an exhibition titled Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years Of Ebony Fashion Fair, which subsequently toured additional institutions including the Museum of Design Atlanta and Milwaukee Art Museum.
From June through September 2018, the Rebuild Foundation presented A Johnson Publishing Story at Chicago’s Stony Island Arts Bank. This exhibition featured an array of paintings, books, sculptures, furnishings, and design elements originating from the company’s former headquarters. Additionally, Berlin’s Martin-Gropius-Bau exhibited The Black Image Corporation, showcasing photographs from Johnson Publishing’s archives until July 2019.
In 2020, an advisory committee led by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden was established by the educational charity consortium managing these historic photo archives to oversee their stewardship and public accessibility.
Most recently in 2024, the Rebuild Foundation opened "Theaster Gates: When Clouds Roll Away: Reflection and Restoration from the Johnson Archive" at Stony Island Arts Bank. Scheduled to run through March 2025, this exhibition combines original works by Gates alongside pieces by Kerry James Marshall, Ellsworth Kelly, Barkley Hendricks, among others, integrated with archival materials salvaged from Johnson Publishing Company's Michigan Avenue premises.
Publications
- Ebony – a monthly magazine covering general interest topics (from November 1, 1945, until June 2016)
- EbonyJet.com – the official online platform associated with the brand (approximately 2007 through June 2016)
- Ebony Jr! – initially published from May 1973 to October 1985, relaunched as a digital edition in 2007
- Negro Digest – issued from November 1942 to November 1951, resumed publication in June 1961, later renamed Black World (May 1970 to April 1976)
- Tan Confessions – circulated between November 1950 and August 1952; subsequently retitled Tan (September 1952 to October 1971), then transitioned to Black Stars
- Black Stars – published from November 1971 until July 1981
- Hue – launched in November 1953 and ongoing
- Copper Romance – debuted in November 1953 and continues publication
- Ebony Man: EM – active from November 1985 through January 1998
- E Style – a catalog collaboration with Spiegel, starting September 1993 and ongoing
- Ebony South Africa – available from November/December 1995 until September 2000
- Jet – a weekly news magazine published from November 1, 1951, to June 2014
Divisions
- Fashion Fair, LLC – cosmetics brand
- JPC Book Division – responsible for publishing books
- JPC Consumer Products, LLC – manages Ebony lifestyle branding initiatives
- Ebony/Jet Entertainment Group, LLC – oversees branded multimedia entertainment content
Former divisions
- Supreme Beauty Products – operated under Duke/Raveen
- WJPC Radio – now WNTD following ownership changes
- Ebony Fashion Fair – a traveling fashion exhibition