YSB
Categorieslifestyle magazine
Frequencymonthly
Formatprint
PublisherPaige Publications[1]
FounderRobert L. Johnson[1]
First issueSeptember 1991
Final issueOctober 1996
CompanyBET
CountryUnited States
Based in3109 M Street NW,
Washington, D.C.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN1056-6198

YSB, an acronym for Young Sisters and Brothers, was an African American monthly lifestyle magazine, in print publication from 1991 until 1996.[2][1] The magazine was founded by Robert L. Johnson as a subsidiary of BET.[3][1][4] It was the first national African American lifestyle magazine specifically for teenagers age 13 to 19.[5][6][7] It was designed to build teenagers self-esteem,[8] and marketed for the "hip-hop generation".[2][1]

History

YSB debuted the first issue in September 1991.[9] The magazine offered news stories on music, fashion, as well as then-current issues facing teens including substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.[10][11] BET's publishing division also published Emerge magazine, BET Weekend, and Heart & Soul magazine.[12][13] Contributors to the magazine included Kenji Jasper (journalist),[14] Jelani Cobb (journalist),[15] Frank Dexter Brown (editor),[16] Fo Wilson (also known as Folayemi Wilson; creative director),[17] and Lance Pettiford (creative director).[18]

Shortly before the last issue in October 1996, BET and Microsoft joined efforts to publish the print magazine online, and at the time only 11% of African American households had access to the internet at home (compared to 29% of white households at this same time).[10][19] The magazine had been operating at an annual loss of almost $2 million prior to closure.[2][10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Whitaker, Matthew (2011-03-09). Icons of Black America: Breaking Barriers and Crossing Boundaries [3 volumes]: Breaking Barriers and Crossing Boundaries [Three Volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 487. ISBN 978-0-313-37643-6.
  2. ^ a b c Iverem, Esther (October 23, 1996). "Death of An Ideal". Washington Post.
  3. ^ Elliott, Stuart (1991-09-16). "Addenda: Black Media Concerns To Offer Package Deals". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  4. ^ Muhhamad, Tariq K. (June 1997). "B. E. Company of the Year". Black Enterprise (magazine). Vol. 27, no. 11. Earl G. Graves, Ltd. pp. 156–164. ISSN 0006-4165.
  5. ^ Radical America, Volumes 24-25. Alternative Education Project. 1990. p. 15.
  6. ^ Kuntz, Tom (1994-04-24). "Word for Word/Teen Magazines; Read This. It's Just So Totally Freaked Out. I Mean, Go for It, Dude". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  7. ^ Carmody, Deirdre (1991-05-23). "The Media Business; Black Cable TV Service Starts Magazine Drive". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  8. ^ Capace, Nancy (2001-01-01). Encyclopedia of Mississippi. Somerset Publishers, Inc. p. 249. ISBN 978-0-403-09603-9.
  9. ^ Ross, Michael E. (1993-12-26). "At Newsstands, Black Is Plentiful". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  10. ^ a b c Fields-White, Monee (August 23, 2010). "Black Magazines of the '90s: Where Are They Now?". The Root. Archived from the original on July 6, 2012.
  11. ^ Krishnan, Satya P.; Durrah, Tracy; Winkler, Karen (1997). "Coverage of AIDS in Popular African American Magazines" (PDF). Health Communication. 9 (3): 273–288. doi:10.1207/s15327027hc0903_5. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  12. ^ Smith-Shomade, Beretta E. (2012-08-21). Pimpin' Ain't Easy: Selling Black Entertainment Television. Routledge. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-135-86948-9.
  13. ^ "Debra L. Lee steps to CEO level at BET". African American News. June 2, 2005.
  14. ^ Weeks, Linton (June 22, 2001). "Street Smart Book Smarts". Washington Post.
  15. ^ "Cobb, William Jelani". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  16. ^ Reynolds, J. R. (1994-01-29). "Labels Examine Black History Via Lecture Series". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 23.
  17. ^ Bateman, Anita; Vendryes, Margaret. "Onward Fo! From Graphic Designer To Conceptual Artist And More". International Review of African American Art (IRAAA). Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  18. ^ Newman, Robert (2013-02-25). "Archive: YSB Magazine: Classic 1990s Covers". The Society of Publication Designers (SPD).
  19. ^ "BET and Microsoft Team Up To Go On-line". Jet (magazine). Johnson Publishing Company. 1996-02-26. p. 62.
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