Honoring Beauty and Black History: Eunice Johnson
- Kayla Grigsby
- Feb 3, 2023
- 2 min read
In honor of February being Black History Month, I wanted to highlight an Icon within the beauty industry and how she single-handedly influenced the perception of black culture. Eunice Walker was born April 4th,1916 in Selma, Alabama to parents Nathaniel and Ethel Walker. She was an educated woman, attending both Talladega College and Loyola University where she met her husband John H. Johnson. This dynamic power couple founded Johnson Publishing Company in 1942, which was responsible for The Negro Digest (1942), Ebony (1945) and Jet Magazine (1951). Jet Magazine covered issues like The Mongomery Bus Boycott as well as Emmett Till's murder. Both Ebony and Jet became staples in the black community, showcasing black culture, beauty and issues for the world to see. I vividly remember being in the hair salon with my mother on a Saturday morning and browsing the newest editions of the publications and seeing positive, beautiful images of people who were reflective of myself and the people in my community. Little did I know as a child the intentionality that was behind the publication.
As a philanthropist Eunice was tasked with raising money for an organization and she created Ebony Fashion Fair to answer the call. This was a Fashion show that grew to be one of the largest and most extravagant in the beauty industry. Eunice made it a point to use the most beautiful black models dressed in the most elegant and exuberant clothing, illustrating to the world that Black is Beautiful. She opened doors internationally for black women in the fashion industry and spent millions of dollars curating talent and buying fashions that normally would not have been offered to black models. Not only was she employing and creating opportunities for black people in fashion, Eunice advocated for the display of her models when European designers would meet her with opposition.
Following the fashion show success in 1973 she created Fashion Fair Cosmetics to address the disparities in shade range for tan to dark skin. Fashion Fair became the first cosmetic line to cater to women of color. As a result of the quality of the makeup and the need for diversity in the cosmetic world Fashion Faire grew to be one of the largest beauty brands in the world at the time. Due to her influence, companies like Revlon and Avon had no choice but to follow suit. Her advocacy for black people in the space she occupied is reflected in the industry to date. With the recent re-launch of Fashion Fair in 2019, Eunice is still making an impact on the Black Aesthetic today.
Eunice Johnson, a businesswoman, philanthropist and trailblazer died at the age of 93 on January 3, 2010. As a woman in the beauty industry, I honor you during this Black History Month. Your work has paved ways for women like me to feel comfortable in a space that was not intended for us. Your ability to stick to your vision and bring other black people with you as you excelled is more than admirable. Your impact and influence is still prevalent and still at work.
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