After a 71-year run in Chicago, Johnson Publishing is getting out of publishing.

The company said Tuesday it has sold Ebony, its iconic African American lifestyle magazine, and the now digital-only Jet magazine to Clear View Group, an Austin, Texas-based private equity firm, for an undisclosed amount.

Johnson Publishing will retain its Fashion Fair Cosmetics business and its historic Ebony photo archives, which remains up for sale. The deal, which closed in May, also included the assumption of debt.

A family-owned business throughout its history, Ebony has documented the African-American experience since it first hit newsstands in 1945. It has shaped culture ever since, coming into its own as it reported from the front lines of the civil rights movement during the 1960s in powerful photos and prose.

Johnson Publishing to sell historic photo archive
In recent years, though, Johnson Publishing has seen declining media revenues as it struggled to evolve from print to digital platforms.
Linda Johnson Rice, chairman of Johnson Publishing and daughter of founder John Johnson, will serve as chairman emeritus on the board of the new company.

“This is the next chapter in retaining the legacy that my father, John H. Johnson, built to ensure the celebration of African-Americans,” she said in a statement Tuesday.

The new publishing entity, Ebony Media Operations, will maintain the magazine’s Chicago headquarters and its New York editorial office, as well as much of the current staff, according to Michael Gibson, co-founder and chairman of African American-owned Clear View Group.

It is the first investment in the publishing business for Clear View.
“We made this purchase because this is an iconic brand — it’s the most-recognized brand in the African American community,” said Gibson, 59. “We just think this is a great opportunity for us.”

Cheryl McKissack, who has served as chief operating officer since 2013, will assume the role of CEO of the new publishing entity under Clear View, operating out of the magazine’s Chicago office. Kierna Mayo is stepping down as editor-in-chief of Ebony to pursue other opportunities, Gibson said.

Read more by Robert Channick at ChicagoTribune.com

Saturday and Sunday – May 28-29-2016

Sunday/ Rained Out

50 Players

City of Charleston Municipal Golf Course

Senior Flight

1. Edward “Dick” Greene 72
2. Berry French 73
3. Ellis Greene 75
4. Angus Jenkins 79
5. Ed Cook 79
6. Reuben Gadsden 82
7. Odell Price 82
8. Joe Cook 85
9. Walter Cobb 86
10. Bill Snipes 87
11. Charles Hampton 90
12. Willie Caldwell 92

Championship Flight

1. Evan Rodwell 65
2. Blake Maul 70
3. Ricky Brown 75
4. Richard Degree 76
5. Lucas McNellis 76
6. Mike Spry 76
7. Louis Hassell 77
8. Mark Havenstein 77
9. Cliff Price 77
10. John Heyward 78

First Flight

1. Travis Williams 79
2. James Wilson 79
3. Marty Carson 83
4. Darin Eggleston 83
5. Coley Jeter 85
6. Darwin Grant 86
7. Ed Brown 87
8. Toby Jenkins 87
9. Thomas McNellis                                                                         88
10. Toney Wrighten 88
11. Chris Alexander 89

Second Flight

1. Al Stockton 90
2. Ollie Wineglass 92
3. James Crawford 92
4. Levon Smalls 92
5. Ronald Lewis 93
6. Wanda Torres 97
7. Tim Porter                                                             100
8. Macio Jacobs 103
9. Eugene Oglesby 103
10. Joe Jenkins 106
11. Terry Porter 109

Junior Golfers

1. J.J. Keene 78
2. Thomas Johnson 80
3. Jesse Nguyen 81
4. Rya Tifft 85
5. Nick Velasqez                                     99
6. Alex Green 102

Scores submitted
by John Love

Bounce TV’s coverage will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET with the procession, which will take Ali on a final journey through his beloved hometown of Louisville, passing memorable landmarks in his life, including his childhood neighborhood and the Muhammad Ali Center.

Bounce TV will also air the memorial service scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET, which will include eulogies by President Bill Clinton, Bryant Gumbel and Billy Crystal.

Bounce TV will partner with its Louisville affiliateWAVE-TV, owned and operated by Raycom Media, for the special event, airing WAVE’s local hometown coverage and insight nationwide.

Between the procession and the service, Bounce TV will present The Greatest, the 1977 motion picture in which Ali stars as himself. A dramatization of Ali’s life, The Greatest begins with Cassius Clay winning gold at the 1960 Olympic Games and then follows his stunning victory over Sonny Liston, his conversion to Islam and name change, Ali’s refusal of the military draft on religious grounds and subsequent nearly four-year long court battle to fight again. Ali wins the legal victory and then returns to the ring and takes part in what many consider some of the greatest boxing matches of all time.

Bounce TV will also include several special tributes to the late icon and his tremendous impact on boxing throughout the telecast of Premier Boxing Champions – The Next Round Sunday night, June 12 starting at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Bounce TV is the fastest-growing African-American (AA) network on television and airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage. The network features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more. Among the founders of Bounce TV are iconic American figures Martin Luther King, III and Ambassador Andrew Young.

Muhammad Ali, who has died aged 74, was acclaimed by many as the greatest world heavyweight boxing champion the world has ever seen. He was certainly the most charismatic boxer. His courage inside and outside the ring and his verbal taunting of opponents were legendary, as were his commitment to justice and his efforts for the sick and underprivileged.

Three times world champion, Ali harnessed his fame in the ring to causes outside it. He was a convert to Islam and the personification of Black Pride. He anticipated the anti-Vietnam war movement of the 1960s by refusing to join the armed forces.

He made goodwill missions to Afghanistan and North Korea, delivered medical supplies to an embargoed Cuba, and travelled to Iraq to secure the release of 15 US hostages shortly before the first Gulf war. Repellent though he found many aspects of US foreign policy – and repellent as the establishment found him when in 1967 it banned him from the ring for three years for refusing the draft – the nation embraced Ali as time passed, realising his unique ambassadorial value. In 2005, he received his country’s highest civilian honour, the presidential medal of freedom, from George W Bush, an incumbent whose views he must have detested.

But it all stemmed from boxing. His matchless magnificence, the self-proclaimed “greatness”, was invented early as a cheery prizefighter’s publicity stunt. It was a greatness that was to balloon and achieve near-universal acceptance as he became acknowledged as a beacon not only for downtrodden African Americans but for global Islam as well, not to mention the anti-war movement or poverty in developing countries. In the middle of press conferences, reporters would earnestly ask him about solving the Palestine problem, or if he could have a quiet word with Moscow about President Ronald Reagan’s star wars programme. Ali was a rebel with a cause – lots of them.

He played the sovereign to the hilt. He played the victim. He played the clown. He played the camera. But, above all, he played the sport. He was the best heavyweight boxer there had ever been since the Marquess of Queensberry set down his rules in 1867, undeniably the best since Kid Cain KO’ed Sugar Ray Abel. First as Cassius Clay, then as Ali, this remarkable boxer totally reset the marks, utterly changed all inviolate techniques and tenets. Four years after winning the light-heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Olympic games in Rome, he won the undisputed professional world heavyweight championship, taking on all comers. He was to regain the title twice, an achievement that remains unmatched. His career in the professional ring spanned an astonishing 21 years. Of 61 contests, he lost only five, four of them when he was long past his majestic best. Thirty-seven victories were knockouts.

Read more at The Guardian.com

The inaugural International Women’s Golf Day (WGD), set for Tuesday, June 7, 2016, has exceeded its lofty goal with more than 400 golf facilities in more than 18 countries participating in this first-of-its-kind growth of the game initiative. WGD’s mission is to Engage, Empower and Support women and they will experience this first-hand on June 7.

“Ladies, in New York City—and across the nation—You’re invited to join me for Women’s Golf Day!”  Says Debert Cook, publisher of the African American Golfer’s Digest.  The 13-year old magazine has a readership that is comprised of 30% women, so the message resounds clearly with her.  Cook plans to be at Golfsmith on 5th Avenue, in New York City, at 4pm on June 7 along with the founder of Women’s Golf Day, Elisa Gaudet, then the twosome will make their way go to Chelsea Piers at 6pm.

“We’re looking to Engage, Empower and Support women on this great day,” says Ms. Cook who praises Gaudet for developing the concept.

This one-day event is designed especially for females to heighten their engagement in golf and June 7, 2016, is an opportunity for any girl or woman to try golf for the first time in a fun, non-intimidating environment alongside existing golfers. On this one day, participants of all ages can either take a lesson or play 9 holes of golf with others who are playing for the first time, or have been playing for years.

“So, come on out…wherever you are on June 7,” says Cook.
Women’s Golf Day happens on the SAME DAY – SAME TIME – EVERYWHERE AROUND THE WORLD.

The event is all about celebrating girls and women playing golf & learning the skills that last a lifetime.

WGD will be celebrated between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., when women and girls will be introduced to the game in an inviting and fun environment. The event also encourages existing and former golf enthusiasts to attend with an opportunity to tee it up for nine holes. From 4:00-6:00 p.m. all participants will have the option of two hours of lessons or an on-course 9-hole experience. From 6:00-8:00 p.m. attendees will participate in a celebratory gathering where they’ll socialize, network, and receive information on ways to become more involved in golf (i.e. program’s lessons, leagues, clinics).

Elisa Gaudet (pictured) is President of Executive Golf International and Author of “Two Good Rounds” book series, and the Founder of International Women’s Golf Day.

“Women play a critical role in the success of the golf industry,” says Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation. “Nearly 23 percent of all golfers in the U.S. are female and the creation of Women’s Golf Day is an opportunity to increase awareness, participation, and showcase golf as a fun activity for people of all ages.”

At its core, WGD has the united support of 17 veteran golf industry and business professionals, each volunteering their time and/or service to help execute this worldwide event. In addition to the collaborative efforts of the WGD team, the initiative has garnered the support of key golf management companies and retail outlets including: Arcis Golf,ClubCorp, Golfsmith, and PGA Superstore.

“We are proud to participate in this important international event,” said Eric Affeldt, ClubCorp President and CEO. “Positively impacting the future of the game of golf for females of all ages continues to be a priority for ClubCorp and at our clubs. Women’s Golf Day is a wonderful opportunity for us to help grow the game.” Golf course owners and operators also see the value of Women’s Golf Day.

“Golf courses and the sport are evolving in many wonderful ways, and Women’s Golf Day shines a spotlight on the growing popularity of our sport to women and girls all over the globe,” said Jay Karen, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association. “The life lessons and connections made among women on our fields of play are incredibly valuable.  We are happy to support the endeavor to connect golf to more and more women.”

The WGD initiative is gaining attention from female leaders in sports, too. “There has never been a better time for women in sports and in business, and everyone knows golf is instrumental in many business relationships,” said Motivational Speaker Dr. Jen Welter, the NFL’s First Female Coach. “International Women’s Golf Day is a great way to get women in the game, on many levels. I am honored to take part in this historical event.”
According to event organizers, Women’s Golf Day has created positive momentum globally, and that momentum continues to grow. “It’s both amazing and gratifying to know that we’ll have participation in every time zone worldwide,” said Event Founder Elisa Gaudet. “Not only will we introduce new players to the game in an inviting and inclusive manner, participants will be able to share their experiences through social media and see how they’re actually part of a global community, doing the same thing, on the same day, around the world.”

To learn more visit http://womensgolfday.com