Remember Suede And Honey? Black Magazines We Miss That Have Gone Out Of Print

It used to be that you couldn’t get on the train or bus commuting to work or school without seeing at least half of the commuters reading a newspaper or magazine but now more and more people are on their phones and tablets. With the changing times, more and more publications are focusing their attention online and are no longer printing publications while some have disappeared altogether. Here’s a list of Black magazines we miss that have gone out of print.

Vibe Vixen

Vibe Vixen was a spin-off of the urban stalwart Vibe magazine that was geared toward men and women who were into hip-hop music, fashion, cars and gadgets. Created in 2004 for Vibe’s female readers, Vibe Vixen focused on fashion, health and beauty, dating, entertainment, and societal issues for “urban minded females.” Wendy Williams, Tracee Ellis Ross and Estelle were some of the celebs that graced the cover of the magazine. Vibe Vixen was released quarterly until its print publications stopped and all of their efforts went online.

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JET

Originally billed “The Weekly Negro News,” JET magazine has been in Black homes across the country for more than 60 years. Founded by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing Company in 1951, the magazine first garnered attention by covering the Civil Rights movement. The publication began to cover fashion and beauty tips, entertainment news, dating advice, political coverage, health tips and offered diet guides. Redd Foxx once called JET the ‘Negro bible” but it was recently announced that JET will no longer publish issues at the end of June and will continue on as a digital magazine app.

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Honey

When young, Black, career-minded women wanted to pick up a magazine and read the latest in fashion, trends, entertainment and lifestyle tips, Honey magazine was the magazine. Every month readers could look forward to interviews with popular celebrities such as R&B singer Alicia Keys, reality television personality La La Anthony, actress Sanaa Lathan and more. But the magazine ended its publication run a few years ago and shifted focus to their website in late 2013.

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Right On!

Teens may have Twitter and Instagram to find out the latest on their favorite idols now but before the birth of social media, there was Right On! Started in 1971 to fill the void of a lack of publications out there for Black teens, it covered everything in pop culture geared towards its target audience. In the early years the magazine focused on super group The Jackson Five. Right On! also helped the R&B group New Edition reach a larger audience. But readership fell over time and the magazine rolled out its last issue in 2011.

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Suede

Do you remember Suede magazine? Although it struggled to find a huge audience, the magazine was known for its colorful covers, eye-catching beauty spreads that included helpful tips, and visually appealing photo shoots. Suede was also informative. Often times the magazine had features about art, politics and historical issues. But it was most known for showcasing upcoming fashion trends. While the magazine seemed ahead of its time, it fell victim to the times we live in.

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Savoy

With a huge market of middle and upper class Black men who wanted more to read than GQ and Black Enterprise, Savoy magazine came along to help fill that void. Its readers were kept abreast on everything from entertainment to sports, business to politics, design to style while the magazine simultaneously gave a positive platform for issues in the Black community. But Savoy magazine had a hard time building a solid readership and attracting advertisers.

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Heart & Soul

While most magazines geared towards the Black community would include a section about health, Heart & Soul devoted its entire publication to the overall wellbeing of the Black woman. With articles such as “Walk a Marathon in 18 Weeks,” “The Bliss of Inner and Outer Beauty,” and “Summer Beauty Survival Kits,” Heart & Soul kept its readers educated and informed about all things health related. Like most publications struggling to stay out of the red, Heart & Soul saw its advertising dollars dry up and it soon went out of print publication.

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Our World

You may have never heard of Our World magazine but your grandparents probably have. Founded in 1946 by John P. Davis, the publication was geared towards African-American men and women, covering contemporary topics from black history to sports and entertainment with regular articles on health, fashion, politics and social awareness. Singer/actress Lena Horne graced Our World’s inaugural issue. Despite its popularity, the magazine folded 11 years after it debuted.

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Giant

Giant magazine was founded in 2004 as a bimonthly publication that centered around pop culture, music, movies, video games, entertainment news and anything else Black men in their 20’s were interested in. Giant magazine was published in 2007 by the conglomerate Radio One for a reported $270,000. But two years later, its last issue was published and Giant magazine went out of business.

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Onyx Style

Those living in the Houston area will certainly recall Onyx Style magazine. Created in 2002, the periodical was the first of its kind that centered around the Houston community of affluent Black residents. The lifestyle publication featured interviews with celebrities, profiles of homes, society news and travel pieces and had a circulation of over 75,000. But five years after it printed its first issue, Onyx Style shut down.

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King

King magazine was almost like the Black man’s Playboy. A spin-off of XXL, the magazine featured interviews with hip-hop and R&B artists as well as sports and fashion but it continually drew eyes and attention by putting a bevy of scantily clad beautiful women on the cover month after month. But it March 2009, after citing poor advertising sales, King magazine abruptly stopped publication. Towards the end of 2009, the magazine resumed publication but this time as a quarterly periodical.

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American Legacy

While other magazines were filled with entertainment and pop culture news, American Legacy magazine went after a different mindset. The only magazine at the national level with editorial content focusing exclusively on African-American history and culture, American Legacy even created its own family board game aimed at educating the Black youth on its rich history. Several years ago, American Legacy abruptly ceased printing due to a lack of advertising dollars but resumed its regular quarterly release in 2012.

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Emerge

Emerge magazine had some powerful investors behind it. Founded in 1989 and backed by Time Inc. and BET, Emerge was targeted to Black professionals and was “designed to meet the needs of this new, affluent generation, a generation that assumes different kinds of responsibilities along with the new opportunities and freedoms it enjoys.” In 1994, the magazine went on the chopping blocks but was saved when an investor poured $2.8 million into Emerge. However, it couldn’t be saved forever and abruptly folded in 2000.

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Black Magazines We Miss That Have Gone Out Of Print