Byline: Charles Sheehan

Aug. 10--CHICAGO -- By the early 1970s it was common in thousands of African-American homes across the country to have two choices of reading material on coffee tables -- the Bible or Ebony magazine.

John H. Johnson's magazine and publishing company had become so influential that if family members didn't subscribe to Ebony, or Jet, neighbors or friends did.

Tattered copies of Ebony and Jet magazine were passed around like currency and it was necessary to read them to take part in social conversation, Richard Swift, 47, said ...

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