Ebony (magazine)

== Notable coverage ==
=== 100 Most Influential Blacks ===
One of the most famous aspects of the magazine was its list of "100 Most Influential Blacks". This list—which began in 1963, took a hiatus until 1971, and has continued on ever since—lists those who have made the greatest impact in the African-American community during the year. Most of those listed were well-educated, with 55 percent having completed a graduate degree.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Henry |first1=Charles P. |title=Ebony Elite: America's Most Influential Blacks |journal=Phylon |date=1981 |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=120–132 |doi=10.2307/274717 |jstor=274717 }}</ref> However, some researchers have noted that black scholars, teachers, and higher-education administrators are rarely, if ever, included on the list.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Demeaning Stereotypes: Ebony's List of the Most Influential Black Americans |journal=The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education |date=1997 |issue=17 |pages=46–47 |doi=10.2307/2963216 |jstor=2963216 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cross |first1=Theodore |title=Ebony Magazine: Sometimes The Bell Curve's Best Friend |journal=The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education |date=1995 |issue=10 |pages=75–76 |doi=10.2307/2962770 |jstor=2962770 }}</ref> The list exclusively focuses on entertainment figures, politicians, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs.<ref>{{cite journal |title=No Interest in Black Scholars: The Tweedledum and Tweedledee of African-American Publishing |journal=The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education |date=2002 |issue=37 |pages=53–54 |doi=10.2307/3134282 |jstor=3134282 }}</ref>

The May  2001 "100+ Most Influential Black Americans" issue did not include a number of influential African Americans such as [[Thomas Sowell]], [[Shelby Steele]], [[Armstrong Williams]], [[Walter E. Williams|Walter Williams]] and, most notably, Supreme Court Justice [[Clarence Thomas]]. ''[[The Economist]]'' described the exclusion of Justice Thomas from the list as spiteful.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9905608 |title=Lexington: The school of very hard knocks |publisher=The Economist |date=2007-10-04 |access-date=2011-05-17}}</ref>

=== Coolest Black Family in America ===
In 2018, the magazine published a series highlighting Black families from across the United States with the intention of showcasing Black family dynamics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ebony.com/life/coolest-black-family-america-coopers/|title=The Coolest Black Family in America No. 74: The Coopers|last=Dingle|first=Joycelyn|date=December 7, 2016|website=Ebony|access-date=December 7, 2016}}</ref>

=== 25 Coolest Brothers of All Time ===
In August 2008, the magazine had published a special eight-cover edition featuring the "25 Coolest Brothers of All Time". The lineup featured popular figures like [[Jay-Z]], [[Barack Obama]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Samuel L. Jackson]], [[Denzel Washington]], [[Marvin Gaye]], [[Muhammad Ali]] and [[Billy Dee Williams]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/life/article/Ebony-magazine-honors-the-coolest-black-men-ever-1787788.php|title=Ebony magazine honors the 'coolest' black men ever|last=Sewing|first=Joy|date=July 9, 2008|website=Houston Chronicle|access-date=December 19, 2019}}</ref>

=== 65th anniversary edition ===
In November 2010, the magazine featured a special 65th-anniversary edition cover featuring [[Taraji P. Henson]], [[Samuel L. Jackson]], [[Usher (entertainer)|Usher]] and [[Mary J. Blige]]. The issue included eight cover recreations from historic and iconic previous covers of ''Ebony''. [[Blair Underwood]] posed inside, as did [[Omar Epps]] and [[Jurnee Smollett]]. [[National Public Radio]] marked this anniversary edition as the beginning of redesign of ''Ebony''. Former White House social secretary [[Desiree Rogers]], of the Obama administration, had become the chief executive officer of the magazine.<ref name="corley">Cheryl Corley, [https://www.npr.org/2011/09/22/140676433/ebony-jet-parent-takes-a-bold-new-tack "'Ebony,' 'Jet' Parent Takes A Bold New Tack"], NPR, September 22, 2011.</ref>