When Linda Johnson Rice recalls what her father, EBONY’s founder John H. Johnson, taught her about the publishing business, she remembers very clearly this: “You can’t have editorial without having advertising.”
For the 71 years her family would publish EBONY magazine, securing advertisers had its share of systemic challenges. When companies repudiated the value of Black consumers, Mr. Johnson felt more empowered getting the word out about EBONY’s impact, reach and cultural relevancy.
“They would go across the country and do whatever it took to sell advertising. That is what my father would do. There were times when you did get rejected, but that didn’t stop him. That’s when you really go to work,” says Johnson Rice, the CEO of Johnson Publishing Company. “My mother [Eunice Johnson] would go into a fashion house in Europe, and she had to explain every single time, this is what EBONY is, this is what the magazine is. She had to take it with her so they could see it, they could feel it, they could understand the level of what EBONY was.”
One advertiser who welcomed the EBONY audience with open arms was Hennessy, the now 259-year-old cognac that’s become synonymous with Black consumers thanks to their celebrity and music partnerships. (Erykah Badu, Nas, LeBron James are just a few of the cultural innovators who’ve partnered with the brand over the years.) Hennessy was the first spirit brand to advertise with EBONY for its undeniable reach within the Black community, and their ads were crafted to speak to the audience with elevated reverence.
“Hennessy was an early adopter in celebrating and spotlighting the Black community in our marketing during a time in our history where that was not common in media,” says Mwanza Lumumba, senior brand director at Hennessy V.S. “The brand supported Black publications like EBONY, running ads featuring Black talent as early as the 1950s. Our support of the community goes even deeper, from social justice initiatives dating back to the 1890s, such as being one of the initial Founders of the National Urban League in 1896, support for the start of Tuskegee University in the early 1900s, and the first Corporate Sponsor of the NAACP in 1909.”
In 2015, the film An Unexpected History: The Story of Hennessy and African-Americans examined the brand’s long-standing commitment to the Black community as a part of its 250th anniversary. History tells us that GIs during WWII started drinking cognac in France. After the war, soldiers brought back the experience of sipping cognac to the U.S. “For many African Americans, Hennessy has been a rite of passage – passed from generation to generation of legal drinking age drinkers. For many, it’s one of the first spirits they’ve enjoyed or experienced, from family gatherings, personal milestones and celebrations,” says Lumumba.
As EBONY begins its 80th anniversary year, the connection is stronger than ever. (Moet Hennessy was a sponsor for EBONY’s 2025 Power 100 Gala.) “It was important to partner with EBONY for a simple reason,” says Lumumba. “EBONY is one of the most trusted sources of news & entertainment for the Black community. EBONY was telling the stories of progress, culture, and achievement; Hennessy felt it was also important to spotlight these voices through a trusted platform that would allow us to authentically engage with our Black consumers.”
When asked how Hennessy’s enriching legacy within the Black audiences endures, Lumumba offers: “We try not to take this legacy and special relationship lightly. That is why we continue to not only invest in moments of celebration and socializing but impacting the future of the African American community.
As long as brands like Hennessy dedicate themselves to diverse representation and authenticity, EBONY audiences will drink to that. Cheers!
In partnership with Moet Hennessy