Actor and AIDS advocate Blair Underwood receives a picture of a D.C. intersection that completes his name during the grand opening of the first AIDS treatment center in Washington, D.C. by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).
The Blair Underwood Clinic will be run by AHF, which came to D.C. because of its status as the “epicenter” of the disease. The city’s infection rate of 3 percent is the nation’s worst.
EBONY IS FOR SALE
Johnson Publishing Company, the world’s largest African-American owned and operated publishing company, is seeking a buyer or investor for its flagship publication, Ebony, in an effort to secure the survival of the nation’s oldest African-American lifestyle magazine.
Johnson Publishing’s chairman, CEO and daughter of founder John H. Johnson, Linda Johnson Rice, has approached Time Inc., Viacom, and other private investors that include buyout firms.
Time Inc., the world’s largest periodical publisher, already owns Essence, while Viacom owns BET (Black Entertainment Television). No word on whether Jet would be included in the sale.
CANADA OFFERS $2.6B TO AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
As part of Canada’s promise “to strengthen and support international financial institutions”, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office said it has pledged $2.6 billion in loan guarantees to the African Development Bank which would triple Canada’s shares in the regional bank.
“Canada is the first country to have responded to a critical need of regional banks in this innovative way,” Harper said in a statement. “Our support recognizes efforts by the African Development Bank to ensure it has sufficient resources to respond quickly to the demands of its borrowing members while it continues its poverty reduction efforts.”
According to the statement, the money will allow the bank to increase lending by 75 percent.
That is an excellent thing Blair Underwood is doing.
I live in DC. I think thats great. Love to see people helping out the community.
thats good sh*t Blair!
DC desperately needs this type of facility!
WHO CARES!!
This is good news!!! I hope someone buys Ebony Mag!!
Keep up the good work blair…
Hate to see that Ebony is looking to sell. It seems as if we can’t retain ownership of our businessess forever, which is fine…businesses are made to prosper and sell. But why do we have to sell it to the MAN. If it was designed a black business, keep it a black business. Just my two cents….
I’m a proud Canadian
My mother loves Blair! Good look on his endeavors!
Wow! This is some really impressive work Mr. Underwood.. *3 gold stars for you! Top that “celebraties”..lol
Yea i hopes someone bails out Ebony magazine and replace it’s whole finance department! Clearly they haven’t been on top of things there.
Also that’s a good look Canada! Yall got a few more dollars to share?..
*holds out hand..both of em..lol
Madd props to Blair for giving back and doing something really positive and worthwhile with his celebrity status.
Vibe and now Ebony, its sad both these magazines are having financial problems. I agree with an earlier response that their finance dept wasn’t doing its job if they looking for investors to keep them afloat.
Damn fo real #4??????
Good look for Blair underwood, nice to see someone taking steps towards helping trying to end this dreadful disease. Sad how only a few comments on something positive. I guess if it doesnt have anything to do with Rihanna or Beyonce then no one cares huh?
I Love You Blair Underwood♥♥♥♥
I would like to see everyone rally on this to keep alive a black business. If some of our entertainers and black investors looked into this, we can keep it alive!
why are folks suprised that ebony is for sales?? hmm i wonder if these folks have ever bought an ebony magazine..as far as i`m concerned i cant say i`m surprised..its always been a useless piece of paper..they wont be missed
11. Pressed_much? Settle down…the post has only been up for ten minutes.
Does this mean that AIDS has been on the streets for over 30 years and Washington, D.C. is just now getting its first treatment center? Not wonder the city’s infection rate of 3 percent is the nation’s worst.
Linda Johnson must not have her father’s vision for Ebony. Rather than selling it off to the establishment like Bob Johnson did BET, why doesn’t she endow it to the HBCU? I’m sure she doesn’t need the money that bad.
And, before I give a shout out to Canada, I would like to know what interest rates the bank will be charging on those loans! Also, where is that money coming from? There is nothing “innovative” about lending money at high interest rates.
The whole publishing industry,newspapers and magazines are in financial trouble,people aren`t buying newspapers and magazines anymore ,because they can get their news and gossip about their favorite stars for free on the internet.
John H Johnson was pioneering by launching Ebony.
I hope that the magazine can remain afloat, and remain black majority owned.
(UK)
18. Trae,
So you’re saying it’s “ConcreteLoop’s” fault that Ebony is going out of business? Interesting…
I wish more celebrities were unselfish like Blair Underwood,to open up a healthcare center ,as a way of giving back to the black community is an extraordinary thing to do
I really hate to see Johnson Publishing Co being sold but they have hurt in the economy like everyone else. l really would just hate for them to be picked up by Viacom…they’ve already done an amazing screw up with BET.
Good job, Blair. DC could use initiatives like that.
Ditto killalipstick, I’m a proud Canadian too, gotta love it
GOOD 2 SEE HIM DOIN GOOD FOR THE CITY
DMV STAND UP
major, major kudos to blair underwood. i see his ads for “man up. get tested” everywhere in l.a. now why can’t more celebrites be like him & stop drowning in the pseudo social pool that has caused 1 million blogs to post about their latest lackluster happenings? we need more POSITIVITY, people!!!
i would hate to see ebony magazine go under. yes, people still buy the magazine (i’m one of those people) and they have improved on their format. i really like the new articles…
You da man, Blair. He is still so fine after all these years.
Good going Blair! That is so admirable. I wish we saw more things like this instead of washed up reality stars on the red carpet and what not. Just sayin
I don’t even read Ebony, I like Jet.
Go Blair!
That is a very impressive honor Blair. He’s very passionate about this cause and is doing a wonderful job. Kudos!!
@#18, you may have something. The internet is talking over many other things. It even effects the postal system. I did also hear the Newspapers may need help just as the banks did.
@#20 I don’[think he meant it was any body’s fault. Simply put, there’s a cause and an effect.
Congrats to Blair! That’s wonderful.
As for Ebony…please don’t put them on the same level as Vibe. Though Vibe has it’s place in the Black community, Ebony was around long before and has a much greater legacy . It’s really sad seeing things like Ebony, the Apollo, Soul Train and other urban outlets that were around when there was little opportunity disappearing. What do we have of our own left?
I don’t know, I hope Ebony can find a decent buyer..otherwise they need to shut it down: The name and concept of the magazine are dated in my opinion.
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Proud to see Canada helping out fellow African nations.
Proud to be Canadian!
Proud to see Blair Underwood giving back to the community.
I hope Johnson Publishing can be saved.
Nice to see some positive news.
Blair is doing a good thing. Hopefully more entertainers will step up to the plate. By the way, Blair is still looking good.
29. ´¨`•*•.¸♥•.¸♥¸Deirdre B Pride¸♥•.¸♥¸•*•´,
Cause and effect!!! I’m sure that’s gonna set well with Johnson employees and readers. Simply put, the world is always changing and business fail from lack of vision. Ebony is still a viable source of black news and entertainment, but they lost touch like a man stranded on an island. They tried to operate like an all-round service for the black community, while maintaining the intimacy of home. In its hayday, Ebony should have swung its doors open a little wider.
I love Blair.. The older he gets the finer he gets. I am happy to see that he gives back to the community. God bless you Blair with more resources to help out the black community.
This is the time when people within the black elite, should step in get involved. Ebony has been around for years, they may not know enough about it, but your never to old to start learning. Your the only ones leading your destiny, an it’s down to you what you give energy.
1. I see you Blair. Wow I thought ATL was the epicenter.
2. Hmmmmm, Ebony is a classic but change needs to come if it intends to continue in this market.
3. Double hmmm.
Blair Underwood………..Thank you for giving back in such a huge way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
something about blair underwood seems shady and crooked.
@MEAT, I have nothing to do with the cause and the effects of a periodical’s demise. I simply stated a fact. Think about the other magazines that are failing or have failed. Newspaper going out of business…… It’s basic economics/microeconomics. Supply and demand / prices, the market and poor business decision making. In essence, the economy is effed up.
oh lord////we’re in deficit and they go and add 3 billion ……..meh…
I thought y’all would’ve did the Blair story sooner since that was almost a week ago, but I thought it was a nice gesture. Still can’t grasp why the HIV rate is so high in this area though compared to larger cities. I wonder if they are collectively included MD & VA.
Blair’s still fine, I see.. Great story as well.
blair underwood is one fine man
Question if white people own all the black media is it still considered the voice of the poeple, because essence is okay(sometimes) but BET is bringing black people down so hard and so fast it’s embarrassing. All white people in power want to do is keep black people away from that power and success. They popularize black stereo types and never portray us as anything more than entertainers and athletes.
Damn can we find other solutions then always going to the Man to bail us out. Damn, Oprah lives in Chicago, films the Oprah show in Chicago..do they not have her number?? Can she become an investor!?? or what about all those black celebrities that have been featured in the magazine over the years..they can’t help??! I mean come on…..are there truly any black owned businesses nowadays…