Eunice Johnson, accompanied by former President Bill Clinton, at her husband John Johnson's 2005 funeral.
Eunice Johnson, accompanied by former President Bill Clinton, at her husband John Johnson's 2005 funeral.
Eunice Johnson, the woman who brainstormed the name Ebony for the magazine that would become the most popular publication in black America, was remembered on NPR's Tell Me More Tuesday.
Johnson, the widow of Ebony's founder, John Johnson, died at age 93. Her death was announced by Johnson Publishing Co. Monday.
Besides coming up with the iconic magazine's name, Eunice Johnson was also the force behind the Ebony Fashion Fair, an annual fashion tour through cities with significant black populations. She also created the Fashion Fair cosmetics line.
TMM host Michel Martin talked with Robin Givhan of the Washington Post about Johnson.
An excerpt:
MICHEL: What do you think Mrs. Johnson's legacy will be? How will we remember her?
Ms. GIVHAN: Well, I mean I think she'll be remembered as someone who let the fashion industry know that the African-American community is incredibly viable as an audience, that it has a lot of creative spirit, and I think that she'll also be remembered for someone who reminded African-American to take great confidence and pride in themselves. And I think that's no less of a legacy than the fact that she told, you know, these Parisian designers that yeah, you should pay attention to my people.
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